Sheriff Pickell Discusses Next Steps After Warrant Sweep

It was a good day in Genesee County last week when we heard authorities arrested 62 people in two days, with crimes ranging in armed robbery and attempted murder. This was made possible after inmates were sent to other counties, which freed up some jail space in order for these arrests to happen. There's some jail space now, but what happens as it continues to remain overcrowded because of the ongoing crime issue and Sheriff Pickell says something has to be done:

"There are known criminals walking the street that should be in jail and we aren't able to pick them up because of few too many officers and too few beds in the jail and it just becomes a haven for criminal conduct."

So with these issues, I asked the sheriff what the solution to this ongoing problem would be and what the overall plan was and he said we need a bigger jail:

"The real solution to our problem is we need a bigger jail but building one is expensive. You talk about ongoing staffing and that's where the real expense is. The County Board of Commissioners has to sit down to figure out how we can build more space and fund it. They may need to do a bond proposal or millage. There's got to be something down the road because we can't continue to go on like this."

Pickell is still very pleased with the 62 arrests last week and says it's a good thing for residents in Genesee County. Hopefully the governor's office and state police can continue helping with the overcrowding problems.