Bay County resident alleges sheriff's office mishandled complaints, obstruction claims

At the Jan. 13 Bay County Board of Commissioners meeting, Bay City resident Gina Fournier addressed commissioners during public comment and said she filed a complaint against the Bay County Sheriff’s Department in August 2025 that has not been answered.

"Bay County Commissioners, please know that the money allotted to the Sheriff Cunningham's Department for handling complaints is being misused," Fournier said. She alleged the department lacks an independent complaint procedure and accused Sheriff Troy Cunningham of "obstructing justice by blocking the filing of police reports and running down the clock on the statute of limitations." She also named Deputy Brett Dobbins and said she had been dismissed when he refused to file police reports on her behalf.

Fournier said she provided copies of the complaint directly to the sheriff’s department and by U.S. Mail with return receipt, and that she sought follow-up from the sheriff by telephone multiple times without receiving a response. She said she had obtained documents via FOIA she described as supporting parts of her account and asked elected officials and the state attorney general for assistance.

The board did not take any formal action in response to Fournier’s comments during the meeting and no county official provided a public response on the record at that time. Commissioners closed the public comment period and proceeded with the published agenda. The meeting record does not show staff or the sheriff’s office presenting a timeline for investigating the complaint during this session.