Editor’s note: The following story is a paid political spotlight made possible by the committee of Citizens to Re-elect Dodds.
Logan County Sheriff Randall J. Dodds, a 29-year employee of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office with more than 30 years of experience in law enforcement, said he knew from the young age of 12 that he wanted to have a career in the field.
Following his graduation from Indian Lake High School in 1977 and his 1983 graduation from the police officer training academy, he served as a reserve officer first with the Bellefontaine Police Department and then with the Logan County Sheriff’s Office.
When Sheriff Michael Henry offered him a full-time deputy position in 1991, it was with careful consideration and discussion with his wife, Vicki, that he took the job
“I have loved working here,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic ride and I wouldn’t have gotten this experience anywhere else.
“This can be a tough career on families, so you need to have a strong support system, especially with your family and your wife. I think you always have to put God first and your family first in your life. It’s important to balance those with your career.”
After being elected as sheriff in 2016 and assuming the role in 2017 from his previous chief deputy rank, Sheriff Dodds is running for a second four-year term in Tuesday’s primary election in a contested local race.
“The job of the sheriff is a huge responsibility. I started on the ground floor of this organization and worked my way up to the top,” said Sheriff Dodds.“I think you have to look at experience when it comes to this position.
“I certainly don’t pretend to have all of the answers nor do I know everything, but I have people here who do. If you ask me a question, I’ll get you the answer.”
The sheriff said his office currently maintains a $5.5 million budget, which funds a number of different divisions. Throughout Sheriff Dodds’ years at the LCSO, the Jefferson Township resident has worked in many different positions and has gained insights about the internal workings of the office, he said.
Beginning his career as a deputy sheriff assigned to the patrol division, he worked all three shifts. He later was promoted to sergeant as a shift supervisor on the road and oversaw several different shifts of deputies for eight years.
“Also during that time, I was in day-to-day contact with our corrections and communications divisions, which aided me down the road as sheriff.”
In August of 2007, he was promoted to lieutenant and was charged with overseeing the Logan County Juvenile Detention Center.
When Sheriff Andrew Smith took office in 2009, Dodds was appointed as his chief deputy to oversee the operations of the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Dodds related that among the Ohio Revised Code mandates for the sheriff’s office, one of those is running a county jail. The Logan County Jail can house up to 140 adult inmates.
The LCSO also operates the Logan County JDC, which must adhere to different guidelines working with youths. Currently, it is the only sheriff’s office in the Ohio to maintain a juvenile detention facility.
In addition to corrections officers, individuals involved behind-the-scenes at the jail and JDC include kitchen personnel, maintenance, medical staff, mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors and spiritual counselors, the sheriff related.
Also per the ORC, the sheriff’s office must provide courthouse security and the LCSO has three deputies assigned to this position. In addition, another state mandate is providing civil process paperwork, which includes papers filed through the courts, sheriff sales, civil protection orders.
The final ORC requirement for the sheriff’s office is to “keep the peace” which leaves a lot up to interpretation, Sheriff Dodds said.
For the sheriff’s office patrol division, the agency currently employs 14 road deputies. In the detectives division, there are two drug detectives, two detectives who work property crimes and people crimes, an evidence technician, along with a detective supervisor.
Fighting in the narcotics battle is a difficult one, Sheriff Dodds said, but it is one that the sheriff’s office is working diligently to pursue. Last year, the two LCSO drug detectives alone recorded 74 drug cases, 62 counts of trafficking and 47 indictments, in addition to cases from the patrol division.
“Rest assured we are fighting that battle,” the sheriff said. “Our traffic stops are turned into cases that are worked for months by our drug detectives.
“We believe not only in getting the drugs off the street in basic traffic stops but taking that case and working to remove and prosecute the source, the bigger fish.
“The amount of drug, street value and indictments are a result of months of investigation that leads us in and out of Logan county. These investigations are not public while they are in the midst of the investigation. While interdiction is a great way to get street level narcotics, we go the extra distance to take out the source.”
In addition, the communications division of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office is one of the busiest places in the office, the sheriff related. Last year, dispatchers fielded more than 125,000 non-emergency calls and more than 12,000 911 wireless and wire line calls that resulted in deputies being dispatched for service more than 33,000 times.
The Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center also dispatches for DeGraff Police, West Liberty Police, Russell’s Point Police, Washington Township Police, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Logan County Game Warden, and all county fire and EMS agencies in the county, with the exception of Bellefontaine Fire & EMS.
In recent years, the sheriff’s office also has added its school resource officer program, serving students at Ohio Hi-Point Career Center and Benjamin Logan and Riverside schools. While it’s unfortunate that the current times require the extra level of security of having law enforcement on campus, this program also has brought about many benefits, the sheriff related.
“It’s built up positive relationships between the officers and the students. The younger students especially flock to the deputies. It’s nice for them to see the other side of law enforcement. The deputies are available and can talk to the kids.”
Also during the last several years, the LCSO has put focus on community outreach events, hosting Coffee with the Sheriff activities, Dogs with Deputies outings for youths during the summertime and a fall festival at Marmon Valley Farm. A Behind the Badge Citizen’s Sheriff Academy also given area residents an in-depth, behind-the-scenes looks at the agency.
“That’s paid huge dividends with the community, just being out and being available with people,” Sheriff Dodds said of the various events.
He linked this visibility out in the community to the office being able to raise enough money through local donations to bring back the LCSO canine program that had been absent since about 2008 when the recession hit.
K9 Cane began serving the office in the fall of 2019 and passed away unexpectedly following a training accident in November. However, with the generosity of area residents, the agency was able to obtain a new dog, K9 Thor, who is now busy working the roads with his handler, Deputy Cole Piatt.
“The word about Cane’s passing got out in the media, and so many people in our community donated money to the cause of a new canine,” the sheriff said. “The outpouring of support was just overwhelming.
“We hope to show in return the good deeds of our canine, who’s another tool in our crime-fighting tool kit. He’s trained in conducting searches for people, narcotics searches and building searches. He also is a good public relations tool when we’re out at events. He’s a multi-faceted dog with many capabilities.”
In Tuesday’s election, the lifelong Logan County resident urged the public to provide their support to enable him to serve as their sheriff for another four years. Citizens to Re-Elect Randall J. Dodds Sheriff 2020 relates that all three of the Logan County Sheriff’s Office Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association bargaining units have publicly endorsed him as a candidate.
“It’s an honor to be your sheriff and I would love to continue in this capacity, ” he said.
