As the Sheriff of Marshall County, I am ecstatic that our office has come back together and is working as a TEAM, with increased morale. This has truly been a team effort by everyone—myself, my administrative team, and all of our deputies. I am proud to announce that we now have a full staff with no open positions. Our deputies have put in countless hours to solve crimes, resulting in numerous arrests and felony indictments. We have brought back focused patrols to enforce traffic laws and make our county’s roads safer, conducted countless security checks on businesses and neighborhoods, and participated in several community events throughout the year—including Shop with a Cop for the first time ever and hosting a community pool day at Cameron Pool.
The Sheriff’s Office has been 100% transparent about what is going on within the office and in its reporting to the public. We have also reestablished working relationships with our media outlets to ensure our community stays informed.
I am proud to share some of our key accomplishments for 2025:
* The total number of calls for service—including self-initiated (proactive policing) and citizen-initiated—was 13,597 in 2025, up from 8,709 in 2024.
* We have increased the number of deputies on the road, on the water, and off-road during major holidays, reducing serious incidents.
* We have implemented and hired part-time transport officers—each a state-certified law enforcement officer—to assist in transporting mental hygiene patients to hearings and hospitals. By utilizing them, we keep deputies on patrol where they are needed most.
* We have completed installing Mobile Data Terminals in all cruisers, streamlining report entry and keeping deputies on the road rather than in the office doing paperwork.
* In-car cameras have been purchased for all cruisers and are awaiting installation. This will be the first time in over a decade that cruisers will have in-car cameras.
* All cruisers are now equipped with Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), allowing deputies to respond to cardiac arrest calls. Our deputies also respond alongside EMS and Fire Departments to assist in emergencies.
* The Sheriff’s Office now has a much better working relationship with all local law enforcement, Fire, EMS, OEM, and 911 dispatch agencies, thanks to constant communication and regular meetings, all to better serve our citizens.
* Our deputies have participated in vastly increased firearms and defensive tactics training, as well as several advanced-level training courses. We have also purchased brand new Glock 9mm pistols for all deputies.
* Deputies assisted our neighboring Ohio County Sheriff’s Office during the tragic flooding in Triadelphia and worked with them and the Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office on numerous investigations.
* We have added three new School Resource Officers to better protect our children throughout the county’s school system.
* The Special Response Team (SRT) has been reactivated, participated in several advanced training schools, and completed numerous missions, including high-risk calls and warrant arrests.
* The Marshall County Drug Task Force handled over 65 cases this year, leading to numerous arrests and indictments at both the state and federal level, the seizure of several houses used for drug trafficking, and a large amount of illegal drugs and firearms.
This is just a portion of our accomplishments for 2025. We look forward to providing even better service to our citizens in 2026.
I want to thank the Marshall County Commissioners for their support in providing the necessary funding to accomplish many of these goals. And most importantly, I want to thank you—the citizens of Marshall County—for your unwavering support of the Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Mike Dougherty
