By BARBARA GREEN
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For the first time in more than a year, the Montague County Sheriff’s office is operating at full strength with a complete slate of budgeted officers, which makes Sheriff Marshall Thomas breathe a sigh of relief as they move forward with other issues to modernize the office.
Filling all the jobs in a law enforcement department has been an ongoing battle for police and sheriff’s offices across the state and nation. A lack of applicants has always been a problem for all small agencies as they struggle to compete with higher wages and benefits offered in neighboring larger counties.
The sheriff also has high standards for his officers and he looks for “the right fit,” for his team. Thomas emphasizes while he does not begrudge an officer wanting to advance his career, he knows a smaller office is a place where you can gain a lot of different experiences.
“It is great to find local guys to work for you because if they have their home in the county you are taking care of your people. They also tend to be loyal and that helps retain them,” said the sheriff.

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