Lake County Coverage
Lake Co. Sheriff's Dept. undergoing position reconstruction
Posted: Jan 27, 2012 6:37 PM by Katy Harris (KAJ News)
Updated: Jan 27, 2012 7:43 PM
There are multiple updates to this story. Please click here to get the latest information.
POLSON- The Lake County Sheriff's Department is restructuring and because of that the Undersheriff says he is quitting.
The Lake County Undersheriff Karey Reynolds is stepping down next month because he says he is no longer suitable for the position.
The Undersheriff position will become more focused on handling human resources work. Reynolds says he's more useful on the streets doing law enforcement work, than spending more time in the office handling paper work.
"I don't feel that I'll be able to benefit the citizens like I could have because my strengths do not fall into the field that they want to restructure the Undersheriff to. It's going to become
more of a Human Resource type position and that's not where my strenths lie. My strengths lie in the law enforcement and overseeing law enforcement individuals."
Lake County Sheriff Jay Doyle says the department is also adding two Patrol Sergeants and a Lieutenant to be in charge of both patrol and detectives.
"It's a way to help hold people accountable so that I can spread out- so that it's not all falling on me or my Undersheriff. I have additional supervisors to assist in handing out calls and making sure that those calls are handled."
While the Lake County Sheriff's Office is changing there is still a perjury investigation. A fellow deputy filed a complaint saying Undersheriff Reynolds lied under oath about his background in law enforcement.
The Montana Department of Justice is actively investigating.
Reynolds says his resignation has nothing to do with that.
"Not at all, not at all, that complaint-I learned a long time ago that if you don't get complaints about you in this job, you're not doing your job and that has no bearings on this decision at all. I don't forsee anything coming from it. It's an opinion of one individual."
Reynolds last day with the department is February 13th. Lake County Sheriff's Detective Dan Yonkin will take over as Undersheriff after that.
Reynolds has lived in Lake County for 39 years and became the Undersheriff last January.
