Photo courtesy of the Shelby County Sheriffs Office.
Shelby County Sheriff's Office
During his campaign, Chelsea Mayor Tony Picklesimer discussed renegotiating the city’s contract with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
A few weeks after taking office, Picklesimer met with Sheriff John Samaniego.
“It’s important, and keeping the people safe is the primary goal,” Picklesimer said.
Chelsea has a sheriff’s office substation at City Hall as well as three contract deputies who patrol the city throughout the day, but those aren’t the only eyes on Chelsea.
“Chelsea doesn’t only have the contract cars here,” Picklesimer said, adding that the sheriff’s office has deputies who drive through the city as they monitor the county as a whole.
With Chelsea’s growing population, Picklesimer said he ultimately hopes to increase the number of sheriff’s office cars that remain in city limits. Rather than completely modify the city’s contract with the sheriff’s office, Picklesimer said the main goal is a “manpower renegotiation” in order to keep the city’s crime rate low and to maintain a high quality of life.
While discussions are still in preliminary stages, Picklesimer said he is glad to have Councilman Cody Sumners, a lieutenant with the sheriff’s office, available as a resource.
Sumners is heading up the city’s police and fire and rescue committee, lending some of his expertise to the discussion.
“Having Cody, he truly sees both sides,” Picklesimer said. “It’s really a perfect fit.”