New Cheboygan County sheriff wants to change department’s approach to customer service

CHEBOYGAN — Todd Ross will officially assume duties as the new sheriff for Cheboygan County on Jan. 1 after succeeding the retiring Tim Cook.

Ross said he believes he is inheriting a good department.

“I will reassure them that they are doing a good job and just because someone else is in this office that doesn’t mean that their world will be turned upside down, because it won’t,” Ross said. “Fortunately, we don’t have a lot of big changes that need to be implemented.”

However, there is one part of the department’s mission that Ross does want to change and it’s how the department delivers services to the public.

“We need to be more community involved and more community oriented, which we used to be before Covid. We need to get back to where we were going to Little League games and hockey games,” said Ross.

Ross was one of four GOP candidates seeking the sheriff post in the August primary. A couple of the candidates mentioned the department’s approach to customer service could use some improvement, and Ross doesn’t disagree with that.

“When I started here in 1999 there were two windows (in the lobby) that had individuals in them. One was a corrections clerk and the other was an office person,” he said. “Eventually both disappeared. We need to be a 100% customer service agency just like Walmart. I want to have it where the public will be able to talk with someone about what they need, whether it is an accident report or a weapons permit.”

Ross may also look at making some changes in the parking lot behind the sheriff’s department so those with office requests can park closer to the building.

“A lot of that stuff you can get online now. But there are a lot of people who don’t have access to that or don’t have the knowledge to do it. We should be able to show someone how to do that online,” Ross said.

Noting that law enforcement personnel are sometimes reluctant to discuss their feelings, especially after a traumatic incident, Ross wants his department to shed the hesitation to talk.

“That’s a reason for why there are suicides and cops quitting early, because it has been frowned upon to say that something bothers you. We are supposed to be tough and not say anything. We need to break that cycle and I want to let them know it is OK to talk about your feelings,” Ross said.

Ross said the department’s equipment is mostly up to date.

“We are due to get new vests by the end of 2025,” he said. “We just received new sidearms and we got new rifles a couple of years ago. We may need to replace our flashlights, which are about 15 years old, but that is minor.”

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Like many departments in Northern Michigan, Cheboygan is not fully staffed. Ross said the department needs a court and corrections officers and possibly a road patrol deputy.

It’s getting harder to recruit new talent because of two issues, Ross said. One is that the salaries paid to officers has not kept pace with the job market.

“When I started most law enforcement personnel were at the top end of the pay scale. It’s not like that anymore. There are so many other jobs where you can make more money and not have to work nights, weekends and holidays,” he said.

Ross also noted that other departments are offering a sign-on bonus to experienced officers.

“We have some officers who are talking about going to another department. Hopefully the (county) commissioners can address that in the current contract negotiations,” said Ross.

Another issue Ross has noticed is the perception of law enforcement officers.

“Because of national happenings some people now look down on law enforcement, where it used to be held up as an example of public service. We need to bring that back,” he said.

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: New Cheboygan County Sheriff Todd Ross wants to change department’s approach to customer service

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