photo by: Emma Delk

Incoming Marshall County Sheriff Mike Dougherty, left, and Chief Deputy Sam Robinson, right, pose for a photo after being sworn in by Second Judicial Circuit Judge Jeffrey Cramer at the Marshall County Courthouse on Tuesday.

A new Marshall County sheriff and chief deputy were sworn into the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office by Second Judicial Circuit Judge Jeffrey D. Cramer at the Marshall County Courthouse on Tuesday morning.

Sheriff Mike Dougherty will serve as the first-in-command at the sheriff’s office and oversee the Marshall County Tax Office. Chief Deputy Sam Robinson will be the second-in-command under Dougherty and handle the daily operations of the sheriff’s office.

Dougherty brings 27 years of law enforcement experience to the sheriff’s position, which he was elected to in the May primary election. Dougherty began working at the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office in 1999 and decided to run for the sheriff position after retiring in 2023 at the sergeant rank.

“It was a lifelong dream of mine (to become sheriff), and as I got older and started moving through the ranks of the sheriff’s office, I saw things that needed to be changed,” Dougherty said. “There was not anything specifically that previous administrations were doing, it was just ideas that I personally had that I wanted to see change. I wanted to get more deputies out on the road and have better cooperation with other agencies within the county and across the river.”

The first step Dougherty will take to enact these changes is sign several policies into place when he takes office on Jan. 1. These policies include a change to the department’s uniform standards policy for officers on afternoon and midnight shifts to allow them to wear less costly and more comfortable uniforms.

“The guys on the afternoon and midnight shifts are not in the courtroom at that point in time, so they need to be a little bit more comfortable,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty also plans to increase the number of officers out on patrol in Marshall County when he begins his tenure.

“Come Jan. 1, there’ll be an increase in officers on the roadways,” Dougherty said. “Once we get a few scheduling things worked out by hopefully late February, early March, we’ll have a new schedule system in place that’s going to put more officers out in the community.”

He noted he also wants to keep the media and residents informed.

“One of my long-term goals, and one of the most important things for me, is regaining the trust of citizens in the county,” Dougherty said. “They deserve to know what’s going on within the walls of the sheriff’s office.”

Dougherty said he plans to hold town hall meetings at different communities in the county to update residents on what the office is doing and answer any of their questions.

Dougherty is excited to take office in Jan. and begin his partnership with Robinson. He noted that Robinson brings more than 10 years of experience to the position.

“He does a phenomenal job, and the guys respect him, so I have all the faith and confidence in the world in him,” Dougherty said of Robinson.