The Marshall County Sheriff’s Department is planning to encourage deputies to begin carrying weapons while off-duty.
The proposal was brought forward by Sheriff Matt Hassel. Should Sheriff’s Deputies begin carrying weapons while conducting their personal routine business within the county, it is thought an added layer of protection would be in place.
The weapons purchased would be a smaller caliber from the officer’s on-duty service weapons, according to Hassel.
“In that aspect, it makes it more versatile for how the officer wants to carry it, both on duty and off duty,” says Hassel. “One is an ankle holster and the other weapons that we looked at were too heavy and burdensome to be able to do that.”
The Sheriff provided a purchase request during Monday morning’s Marshall County Commissioners meeting.
Under the proposal, the firearms would be logged and tracked as county inventory, but simply utilized in a different way. The idea comes from the Town of Bremen – which has used a similar method for the last 15 years or so.
Hassel says it is better to have properly schooled individuals on the streets.
“A lot of people today have gotten handgun permits, and I’d much rather see my people out there that are trained and proficient both in the usage of the weapon and when and when not to use that weapon,” says Hassel.
Marshall County Attorney Jim Clevenger said that some additional research on the proposal may be in order to ensure its legality, but believes the maneuver is within the law at this time.
The $7-thousand cost would come out of the Sheriff’s Department’s Firearms Fund. The Commissioners approved the price quote and permission to spend the funds, unanimously.
