Five & five: Unedited answers from the Republican Isabella County Sheriff candidates

Without a Democratic candidate to face in the General Election, the race for Isabella County Sheriff will be decided Aug. 2 with a Republican retaining the position.

Appointed interim sheriff in February following Leo Mioduszewski's retirement, Michael Main is seeking his first full term. His opponent, Michael Hosking, is running for the position after serving nearly 17 years as an Isabella County Sheriff's deputy.

Main served as chief of police in the Village of Shepherd for six years before his appointment to interim sheriff. He was raised on a family-owned dairy farm in Isabella County and is now married with four boys. Having been involved in public safety since 1988, Main is currently working on a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice at Ashworth University. 

After graduating with an Assoc

Academy in Marquette. Hosking's law enforcement career began with the Hancock City Police Department where he started Hancock's first K-9 unit, developing the policies and procedures for the new unit. He started full-time at the Isabella County Sheriff's Department in 2000. Hosking is married with three children.

CM LIFE asked both candidates questions on topics ranging from higher education, pollution and their own qualifications. Below are each candidates' unedited responses.

1.) How will you engage the public to better monitor and engage in community policing in their own neighborhoods?

HOSKING: Community policing is a key point in my campaign. It is essential to developing and maintaining positive relationships with citizens, businesses and groups within the community. I intend to have deputies develop partnerships with local groups (churches etc), businesses and community leaders on a rotating basis. This serves two fold. The first is the positive interaction and community support that will be gained from the relationships. The second is being able to get a better grasp on what is going on in that particular area such as what crimes are plaguing that neighborhood or what problems are occurring. The deputy will be able to analyze those problems and develop solutions based on facts obtained. Having positive relationships will make more people feel comfortable with talking to officers about crimes and information that will help solve those crimes. Neighborhood watch programs would be implemented in villages around the county. Citizens would be trained in the proper techniques for self-policing and crime detection to help deputies detect issues earlier and deal with those that arise, swiftly. The neighborhood watch program will be put on by trained officers to any areas that want to take the course.

MAIN: I’m in the process of developing monthly statistical data of incidents and calls which will be readily available to the local units of governments. This will help them track trends and reassure that patrol activities are being done in their communities. I have also been a strong supporter of community awareness meetings, lectures and training's. I will continue to support those activities by continuing to provide safety awareness to our county. Another popular method to allow the community to monitor trends is through social media. I have created a new Face Book which is growing in success. I’m currently working on a Twitter account and will select a third social media method that is currently trending to the student demographics. We have and will continue to work with our counter parts at Central Michigan University Police Department to engage in appropriate communications to the student population. The Sheriff’s Office will support any neighborhood watch type programs or needs.

2.) How will you combat heroin and meth addiction in the county? What is your stance on recreational marijuana use and how it will be enforced in largely student-populated neighborhoods?

HOSKING: Heroin and meth addiction are just two drugs that plague our county. In recent years, heroin abuse has increased, as have crimes associated with the addiction. I’ve seen numerous deaths related to heroin overdoses and I feel the problem needs to be immediately addressed and swiftly dealt with. In order to combat drug abuse, I would help develop educational programs for the populations who are most susceptible to becoming addicted. Working closely with other entities such as the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, local high schools, Central Michigan University and the Isabella Substance Abuse Coalition will be priority for me to help develop and implement these educational programs. To help our adolescents, we need to invest in resources and keep them interested in life by making more after school, summer and mentoring programs. I would also work with the local courts to try and implement other programs for those who are convicted of drug crimes to get those people the addiction help they need. Trying to shift resources to prevention, treatment and education are important in solving this problem. Making treatment available like any other health service would be beneficial to helping alleviate the drug problem. Forming task forces of local and state law enforcement to combat the specific problems is also an option, as is ramping up interdiction tactics for these two deadly drugs. As for meth addiction, I think providing education to local stores/employees who sell the components to the people making meth, would reduce the resources available to meth cooks. The employees need to be able to recognize the signs/red- flags for those who are seeking to buy components to make meth and report those suspicious purchases/activities to area law enforcement. As for marijuana use, state law still prohibits recreational use. As a law enforcement agency, we are governed by statute as to what we can and cannot do. I’d personally would like to see the state and federal government decriminalize marijuana use and regulate it much like alcohol on a state level. Tax dollars collected from sales by the state can be funneled back into education, enforcement and health services. The sheriff department would continue to deal with each incident on a case-by- case basis as law enforcement has some discretion when it comes to enforcement of marijuana use/possession cases, as it has in years past until the law changes. I wouldn’t be opposed to working with the courts to look at other options for criminal penalties locally, rather than jail, like in the City of Ann Arbor for instance. 

MAIN: I have been a committee member of the 1016 Drug Recovery group for the last several years, this group develops and brings community training's and events to the public. These events are designed to allow all of the public to be able to recognize signs of use and the serious consequences that occur. A division of the 1016 group is currently working with CMU to develop options for the student population to have immediate and campus related option for help. As a trained a as a clandestine lab responder, clandestine lab supervisor and former medical examiner investigator I understand the dire effects on families of those afflicted with drug use and addictions. Just recently I was able to develop an internal shift adjustment which will allow the department to regain entry into the local narcotics team. This teams goal is the reduction of narcotics in our community through education, prevention and enforcement. It is my wish to attack this problem from multiple angles in order to keep our community safe. The legalization of Marijuana debate is a multifaceted in my opinion. Personally I believe narcotics of any kind should always be obtained from a medical doctor and through a licensed pharmacy. The research on the medical benefits versus concerns of abuse are varied depending on who speaks about it. I have seen on many occasions that the Marijuana currently being used in our areas, is extremely high in THC content, which can lead to abuse and overdoses. There are more and more events being documented across the country of overdoses and even some deaths attributed to it. As a law enforcement officer we will continue to enforce laws that have been ratified by legislation or developed by case law through the court systems.

3.) In the wake of recent news, how will you train and prepare your officers to handle situations without using excessive force? How will you train your officers about being video taped and the rights of the people to record, without getting in the way of, a police officer making an arrest?

HOSKING: The Isabella County Sheriff’s Department is a very professional department that doesn’t have an issue with excessive force claims. However, in order to maintain those professional standards, in-service trainings will continue to be held often on a variety of topics, including use of force, defensive tactics and firearms training. These trainings help ensure that department staff are up to date on the latest case law regarding use of force, as well as de-escalation techniques to resolve possibly hostile situations. I’ve always been a big proponent of verbal de-escalation and going “hands-on” or using weapons as a last resort. Staff will also receive trainings during shift briefings regarding current situations experienced by other agencies around the country and those incidents examined/critiqued for the best possible outcome if we encounter them. In this day and age, officers are no strangers to being recorded by cell phones on incidents. In fact, the sheriff’s department currently utilizes an in-car video system with mobile audio recording on the officers during traffic stops and other incidents. The use of body-work cameras could be in the future of the department too, pending certain legislation changes in Michigan. Deputies have always been told that it is the right of person/s to record actions of deputies, as long as it does not interfere with the deputy’s duties /investigation or endanger the health and safety of the officer/s or other individuals, including those recording the event. Deputies are often reminded to act as though their actions are always being recorded, whether they are or not.

MAIN: Deputies are trained through formal levels of training along with continual short roll call in-service trainings. The Office also allows time to review other cases from around the country view social media, news and other formats to stay current with such topics. The Sheriff’s Office also provides legal update briefs for each employee to review as they become available. There are many new tactics being taught for such things as de-escalation or similar methodology that will become part of the ongoing training of police officers.

People can and do video tape law enforcement on a regular basis. Deputies expect to have this to some degree during calls and they understand that it will occur. It is important to understand that law enforcement officers during an event have a large amount of things going on at once, the biggest concern is safety of everyone. This I believe is sometimes why negative things occur when law enforcement interacts with someone who is recording them. The officers are not only trying to mitigate the situation that they are dealing with but are also trying maintain a sense of security for themselves and others. There are situations where doing so could jeopardize safety or interfere with a law enforcement officer’s investigation. I believe a mutual respect should occur between the officers and the general public when dealing with such matters. Tolerance is the key in most situations including matters like these. 

4.) How will you address mental health issues within the county jail?

HOSKING: Because the state closed down several mental health facilities in recent years, many of those who needed help for their mental illness were forced into the streets. It is a systemic problem across the state. Without proper counseling, medication and coping mechanisms, many in this population have been placed into our jail systems for crimes they commit, when they should be in a mental health facility. The county jails are not equipped to deal with severely mentally-ill individuals. Working with local entities such as Community Mental Health, Department of Health and Human Services, local hospitals, the courts and local counseling services will be key to alleviating the problems of our jail having people with mental-health problems. Those who commit serious crimes are often taking for psychological evaluations, and based on those evaluations, housed in mental health facilities still operated by the state, instead of being placed in prison. Developing programs for treatments for these individuals who often don’t have insurance, is paramount to keeping the mentally-ill out of jail. Finding mental-health professionals who are willing to help develop those programs and give treatment to individuals in need (within Isabella County). Having staff available to come into the jail to help determine those who are in need of help is essential to keeping mentally-ill out of jail.

MAIN: The Isabella County Jail currently has programs to assist those incarcerated and inflicted with mental health. There are caseworkers and other support groups that meet with inmates on a daily basis. I have been working heavily with the community mental health. This has included working with several support agencies such as Central Michigan Health and Human Services, Adult Foster Care facilities, judicial system and regulatory agencies. My intent will be to develop procedure for pre and post booking options for inmates that need mental health treatment in lieu of jail. One of the areas that has been recently initiated with our support involves a crisis team that is run through Community Mental Health. The concept team is being used to obtain immediate access to mental health resources and treatment prior to incarceration.

5.) What in your background has prepared you to be an effective county sheriff?

HOSKING: First, I have about 30 years of combined public safety experience, including over 17 years in law enforcement and 13.5 years as a firefighter/medical first responder. Currently, in addition to my patrol duties, I hold positions with the Isabella County Fire Investigation Team and Isabella Co. Hazmat Team as their Team Leader. As a police officer/deputy sheriff, I have logged approximately 2000 hours (or more) of training in various aspects of police work including: basic police academy (Northern MI University-1998), incident command, National Incident Management System, hazardous materials technician, incident pre-planning, emergency response for various man-made and natural disasters, advanced fire investigator, auto theft investigation/recognition, advanced interview and interrogation, K-9 handler (narcotics/tracking dog), training in both terrorism recognition/response and counter-terrorism, explosives recognition and investigation, Accident Investigator I, PBT Instructor, CPR/AED/1st Aid Instructor, Advanced Active Shooter Response Training, Workplace violence response and mitigation, undercover narcotics operations, tactical edged weapon defense, critical incident stress debriefing training, emotionally disturbed persons response, domestic violence investigation, (The list above is not nearly all-inclusive, but is meant to give you an idea of the advanced training I have received in law enforcement) As a firefighter- received training in emergency response to various man-made and natural disasters, fire operations, incident command, Incident Safety Officer, incident pre-planning, serve as medical first responder. I have been involved in community service for several years, both through the Nottawa Sherman Twps. Fire Department and other organizations including Toys for Tots. My community service background allows me to better interact with citizens within our county and has given me a more proactive attitude towards police work. I feel it’s important for the sheriff to have positive, continuous interactions with different organizations and members of the community in order to maintain close-knit relationships. I’m also a member of the Isabella County Substance Abuse Coalition which is a conglomerate of several agencies within the county including law enforcement, 1016 House, courts, Community Mental Health and the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. My years of service with the sheriff’s department has prepared me for a step up to sheriff because I’ve been working the streets of the entire county, interacting with different demographics that makeup our county and seeing what crimes are prevalent in our neighborhoods. My experience also gives me a strong familiarity with road patrol and jail operations, which is an essential quality in order to maintain efficient services.

MAIN: I have attended courses at several different colleges and universities in an effort to remain current with higher education methodology and skills. I’m currently enrolled at Ashworth University and working towards my Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice

I graduated from Kirtland Community College Police Academy as a certified law enforcement officer in 1998 with a 4.0 making the Dean’s list. I worked for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police Department for eleven years as a road patrol officer, road sergeant and administrative supervisor. During that time, I was also assigned as the emergency manager for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. In 2009 I took a position as the Chief of Police for the Village of Shepherd, which I held for close to seven years. From that position, I was appointed Sheriff. During my 27 years in public safety, 18 of which are in law enforcement. I have had 23 years of public safety command experience with 14 years of supervisor and police chief level experience in law enforcement.

I have over 2500 hours of law enforcement training in conjunction with emergency management, fire and rescue related training. Some of my law enforcement training consists of:

2.) Interview and Interrogation

3.) Field Officer Trainer and Field Officer Training Supervisor

4.) Digital Photography, Closed Caption Television Analysis and Installation

5.) Arson Investigation

6.)Terrorism related training

7.) Evidence Technician and Evidence Room Supervisor

8.) Clandestine Lab Responder and Supervisor

9.) Hazard Materials Technician

10.) Pressure Point Control Tactics, Aerosol and Taser trained

11.) Incident Command 100 to 800

12.) Michigan Association of Chief of Police School