Ottawa County Sheriff proposes major reorganization to fix decades of inefficiency

OTTAWA COUNTY — The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office is embarking on a comprehensive, multiyear reorganization plan that will fundamentally change how it supervises and deploys its patrol force. 

Sheriff Eric DeBoer said the transition from a six-patrol-area model to a streamlined three-district structure is a strategic move to correct decades of operational inefficiencies and fragmented command. 

The plan, which requires budget approval from the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners, shifts financial responsibility for key supervisory positions from local townships to the county.

DeBoer said the current model — configured largely by individual township and city contracts — has created "disjointed lines of supervision and communication" and "disproportionate spans of control." 

A 2018 staffing study found that on weekends, the current structure led to a ratio as high as 14.1 deputies per sergeant, far exceeding the ideal industry standard of five to seven subordinates per supervisor. This imbalance, his report concluded, "diminishes supervisory effectiveness and increases the risk of poor decision-making."

“We had sergeants in charge of deputies according to funding source, which was based on the area they policed, not which deputies they worked with,” DeBoer said, describing the fragmented command structure.

He cited a specific example where a sergeant overseeing four deputies only saw two of them, operating on different shifts, leading to inefficient supervision and a lack of mentorship. 

"How, at the end of the year, can you give an adequate evaluation of the deputy? Even more importantly, how do you mentor that person and raise them to Ottawa County standards?” he said. 

DeBoer said he had a long conversation with Undersheriff David Kok about the current structure of the county’s law enforcement model. They quickly realized that it was insufficient and worked together to change the way it operated.

“Sometimes you just need someone to ask the question out loud to realize it’s time for a change,” DeBoer said. “Undersheriff Kok did that and served as a sounding board, and together we worked out a solution.”

He said they had a conversation about “how we can change the way we operate without losing who we are.”

DeBoer also said that it’s not a one-size-fits-all model for statewide municipalities.  

“Many agencies face a version of this challenge. Larger organizations often follow a more standardized model, but there’s no single blueprint — every department is different. The balance comes in staying true to what has made us successful and supported by the community, while also making the improvements we need. Right now, we’re straddling the line between a small county sheriff’s office and a large police organization,” he said. 

“We need to adopt the practices of a professional, modern agency while preserving our small-town feel. That’s the purpose of the cultural programming we’ve built in for the lieutenants as they take on this new model.”

A return to historical precedent

The proposed model would establish three geographic districts — north, southeast and southwest. Each district would be overseen by a dedicated lieutenant and four sergeants, ensuring 24/7 supervision. 

This realignment, DeBoer said, allows for a clear chain of command and improved mentorship for a young and growing deputy force. The new lieutenants will "act as chiefs for that whole district," providing a more accessible and engaged command presence than the scattered, contracted sergeants.

The roots of the current problem trace back to the 1980s and 1990s, when municipalities began contracting for sergeants to maintain a local command presence. This ran counter to a historical precedent of county-level responsibility for supervisory roles, as documented in a 2016 organizational review.

A 1997 staffing formula, implemented by former Sheriff Gary Rosema — who is currently serving as the interim county administrator — and then-Administrator Robert Oosterbaan formalized a process for the county to add sergeants, detectives and clerical staff based on the number of deputies added through contracts. 

DeBoer said 18 deputy positions have been added since the formula was last applied in 2007, justifying the addition of three sergeants, two detectives and two clerical staff under the established formula.

Budgetary and political calculus

The restructuring requires the county to assume the operational costs of seven sergeant positions previously paid for by townships. This financial shift, phased in over three years, will amount to approximately $1.5 million in new operational costs to the county by the end of 2027. This includes the creation of one new lieutenant position to make the model functional.

DeBoer said none of the additional costs will be passed on to residents. The plan will transition township contributions for contracted sergeants, with their payments dropping to 66 percent on Oct. 1 and 33 percent by October 2026, with the county fully assuming financial responsibility on Oct. 1, 2027.

The county’s fiscal year runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30.

Although the financial shift is significant, DeBoer said county officials have expressed support for the change. The plan is expected to be politically expedient at the local level as well. Municipalities will save nearly $190,000 per year for each sergeant they previously contracted.

Beyond the numbers, DeBoer believes the new structure will lead to a better overall law enforcement product, allowing sergeants to focus on community policing and mentorship. 

He said the new model will allow him to compare performance more equitably across the districts. 

"Now I can sit there and say, 'OK, even if I compare the east side Georgetown numbers to the west side Holland numbers, I should still be able to look at some parity,'" he said.

The reorganization is a long-term strategic move aimed at developing leadership from within, from sergeants to lieutenants and eventually to captains. 

"It allows kind of a way for me to develop leadership throughout," DeBoer said. 

The new structure will also open up a better flow of communication from the deputy level up to headquarters, he added. 

"It opens up an idea bucket that we might not have had before."

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.