- Eaton County sheriff says department can no longer patrol rural areas after budget cuts.
- Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich says his department has been forced to eliminate out-county patrols.
- According to Reich, positions were cut due to insufficient funding.
Watch: Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich speaks out on cuts.
Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich says his department has been forced to eliminate out-county patrols due to budget constraints following the failure of two tax millages.
"The people I had hired, were scared they reapplied at other departments, who were paying more and got employed there," Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said.
According to Reich, while some positions were cut due to insufficient funding, the department was able to preserve others by reassigning them to Delta patrol.
"Now we got to deal with what we got which is nothing for the out county, we do have Delta patrol for 38 deputies up there and they are extremely busy daily," Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said.
The sheriff's department hasn't had an out-county patrol since June, raising concerns about response times in rural areas of the county.
When I visited Vermontville to discuss these concerns with residents, some expressed confidence in alternative law enforcement options.
"I don't think they would be too late or anything, we have a state officer, that just lives down on Vermontville Highway," Vermontville resident Dawn Ledford said.
However, Ledford also acknowledged the importance of quick response times in emergencies.
"I know I wouldn't want to wait, I would want someone here right away," Vermontville resident Dawn Ledford said.
Reich hopes another millage proposal could eventually restore road patrol services to rural areas, but for now, he feels his department's ability to serve the entire county has been compromised.
"My primary job was to protect the public and I can no longer do that in the out county," Eaton County Sheriff Tom Reich said.
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