By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Merit Board approved additions to its employee handbook regarding lateral hires during an Oct. 12 meeting.

Sheriff Jim Smith said Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office administration looked at merit rules and realized there was no distinction within the handbook’s language for lateral officers as it pertains to physical agility.

“They (lateral officers) have to graduate from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, they either have to hold a position as a police officer within Indiana or are current with all state mandates to where they wouldn’t have to go back to the academy for refreshing, and they must be in good standing,” said KCSO Patrol Commander Lt. Mike Mulligan about the handbook additions.

“I like having clean language for it,” said Smith.

“The change is pretty standard across the industry,” said KCSO Chief Deputy Chris McKeand. “That’s the way most departments look at laterals.”

In other business, Smith and McKeand both shared updates on tablets Kosciusko County Jail inmates were issued on Oct. 4, and on two new school resource officers.

Every inmate housed in a jail block received a tablet, which features a variety of free content, including over 40,000 books; religious apps; three free nonviolent games; and job search, self-help, and educational apps.

“I went back to one of the blocks last week and it was almost spooky because it was quiet,” said Smith about the inmates utilizing tablets. “It limits the amount of paper we have in the jail. So far, it’s been good.”

Shaun Mudd and Joel Popenfoose also recently started their roles as SROs at Tippecanoe Valley School Corp. and Warsaw Community Schools, respectively. Mudd oversees Mentone and Akron Elementary Schools and Tippecanoe Valley Middle School. Popenfoose is monitoring WCS elementary schools which are outside of Warsaw’s city limits. This includes Leesburg, Claypool and Madison Elementary Schools.

“Everyone’s really excited and upbeat about this,” said Smith. “Both (Mudd and Popenfoose) are going to be very impactful within the schools.”

“They’re all doing a fantastic job,” said KCSO Public Information Officer Sgt. Doug Light about all of the county’s SROs. “The whole project and how hard Sheriff Smith worked to make this happen, it’s a win-win.”

Smith also told the board KCSO is looking to fill three positions on the merit side and also needs an additional officer for the NET 43 Drug Task Force.

“We’re taking letters of interest from the merit side on who might be interested in joining NET 43,” said Smith.