The Huron County Sheriff’s Inmate Work Crew is a bit shorthanded following the March retirement of its longtime supervisor, Deputy Douglas “Doug” Getner.
Getner, who retired Friday, March 29, started at the sheriff’s office in 1989, filling a work crew position that had been vacated. He would remain in that capacity until his retirement, with his job seeing him working alongside thousands of inmates to help the county’s non-profit organizations and governmental entities accomplish maintenance tasks, such as painting, cutting grass, wood cutting and splitting, spring clean ups, roofing, cement work and more.
Not only was there benefit to the county, but the inmates in many cases benefited too. Getner’s jack-of-all-trades knowledge and his skills in supervision and motivation led to many hands-on learning experiences for inmates, which in turn would help some find a more positive pathway to a productive life.
Getner also oversaw the upgrading of equipment, including the acquisition of trailers, riding lawn mowers, a tractor, chain saws and a building to put those items in. These upgrades added to the success of the Huron County work crew, which is considered one of the best in the state.
With Getner’s retirement, and two recent resignations within the same unit that the work crew detail is assigned to, the crew’s availability unfortunately is going to be cut back. Huron County Sheriff Kelly Hanson shared that until they can get correctional deputies back up to staff, the work crew’s availability will be based on deputies willing to come in on overtime.
While most of April is covered, some county organizations had to have their work crew appointments cancelled due to the lack of staffing. Sheriff Hanson urges any individuals interested in becoming a corrections deputy for Huron County to call the sheriff’s office during business hours at 989-269-6500.
