Letter to the Editor: Newaygo Deserves a Leader for Sheriff

Letter to the Editor:
What Citizens Deserve, A Leader In The Sheriff's Department

Dear Editor,
​Monday June 13, 2016 I did something that was hard for me; something I felt was important: I turned in my gun and my badge.  I am no longer a deputy for the Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office.  Anyone who knows me knows how proud I was to be a part of that fine organization.  They are a dedicated group of quiet professionals, who patrol our roads while we...

...sleep peacefully at night, who investigate crimes while we sit in our warm homes watching TV and who sit in the squad room compiling detailed reports while we celebrate holidays with our families.  Our community never needs to question who is keeping the wolf from our door.  They don’t crave attention.  They don’t ask us to acknowledge the sacrifices they make to keep us safe.  They don’t need us to say thank you after they pull our bacon out of the fire.  

​But what they do need and deserve, is a leader they trust- a leader they know has their six on any day, in any weather.  They do not expect their leader to cover for them, but they deserve to have their leader support them while all the evidence is being gathered.  I could no longer tolerate watching hardworking Sheriff’s Office personnel be thrown under the bus for what I see as political gain.  I urge everyone with an interest to investigate further.  The dedicated personnel I had the privilege and honor to serve with do not deserve this toxic leadership.

Kim Roehrig
Newaygo, MI