Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Changes are coming fast and furious at the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, according to Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, with new officers being hired, promotions made and shifts set.
J.D. Ayres returns to the department after resigning about six months ago for a job in the private sector. He previously amassed five years as a deputy. He replaces Deputy Don Wiesehan, who recently took the position of school resource officer at Tippecanoe Valley schools.
Ayres and Chris Rager, who is employed as school resource officer for Wawasee schools, were hired through a three-year federal grant. Rager comes to the KCSD with more than two years of police experience in the North Webster Police Department.
Ricky Oliver fills the deputy position vacated with the retirement of Sgt. Mike Hobbs. Oliver was hired from the Kosciusko County Jail, where he served as a jailer. Currently in his field training, Oliver is scheduled to attend Indiana Law Enforcement Academy training this summer.
Promotions include naming Sam Whitaker to the rank of lieutenant detective, which is a new position to supervise the detective division. A 20-year veteran of the KCSD, Whitaker has started a case management program in which pending cases are assigned among the detectives and Whitaker is charged with keeping apprised of the status of the cases.
Filling the detective sergeant position emptied by Whitaker is Travis Marsh, who comes from the rank of deputy. Marsh has been with the KCSD for three years and has been a police officer since 1992, serving with various departments in Kosciusko County.
The Kosciusko County Council recently approved funding for two new road sergeants, and the third sergeant position, which was held by Hobbs, also required filling.
The new sergeants are:
• Chad Hill, who was promoted from the rank of corporal and is a 10-year department veteran. Hill also served with the Pierceton Police Department before joining the KCSD.
• Floyd Knafel, also rising from the rank of corporal and a 10-year department veteran.
• Craig Bale, a deputy with six years experience on the KCSD and four years as a deputy marshal with the North Webster Police Department.
Named as sergeant and Kosciusko County Special Operations Team supervisor was Larry Holderman. Previously at the rank of deputy, Holderman has been with the KCSD for 10 years.
The department also named three new corporals - two to replace Hill and Knafel, plus a third, allowing for one corporal per shift. They are:
• Reid Piper, a deputy for five years who originally joined the department as a jailer.
• Todd Sautter, a six-year veteran of the KCSD serving as deputy.
• Tony Ciriello, an 11-year deputy with the department.
According to Rovenstine, the corporals and sergeants are each assigned to one of the three shifts and serve as supervisors as well as pitching in on the road when shifts get busy.
"The department's growing so fast," Rovenstine said, adding that there are now 32 merit officers on the department - nearly double the 18 deputies with the KCSD about 10 years ago.
"Ten years ago," Rovenstine said, "the sheriff was the main supervisor, but the department's just gotten too big." The new rankings, he said, will add structure to the department. "I'm happy so far," he said. "The first month and a half has gone well."
Along with the hiring and promotions of officers, the department has opted to go with set vs. rotating shifts.
As of Jan. 1, a select group of officers was assigned to each of the three shifts - 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2 to 10 p.m. and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Rovenstine said that set shifts also will help the department keep track of the goings-on daily.
Prior to Jan. 1, officers rotated shifts, each serving one month on each shift before moving on to the next shift.
