La Porte County sheriff honors late jail sergeant, outlines staffing, budget and community updates

The La Porte County sheriff opened the July 8 Merit Commission meeting with a remembrance for former jail sergeant Bobby Blair and then delivered a broad department update that covered community fundraisers for an injured deputy, recruitment and fleet news, month-to-month activity statistics and preparations for the 2027 budget.

The sheriff said Blair, who died July 4, was “a Vietnam veteran and a 25 year veteran of the sheriff’s office,” and that, per his wishes, there will be no public services. The department also continues to collect cards and letters in support of Deputy John Samuelson following his recent incident, the sheriff said, and he read a letter from Christopher Ruggiano of Mount Laurel, N.J., thanking the department for its service.

“Please know of my prayers and support always,” the sheriff read from the letter, which he said was one of many messages arriving from Ohio, Kentucky and Florida.

The sheriff listed upcoming community fundraisers and outreach events, including a Buffalo Wild Wings give-back day on July 22 and a Sammy Strong benefit at Fast Eddy’s on July 25, and noted the department’s participation in county events such as the La Porte County Fair and Michigan City’s boat races the first weekend in August.

On staffing and recruiting, the sheriff announced the department is accepting applications for a patrol deputy through Friday, July 24, with applications available at the department website and to be emailed to Captain Allen. He also said the department received its 2026 patrol cars, with about half already assigned to patrol and the remainder expected to be completed and placed on the road the following week.

The sheriff reported several operational metrics: calls for service rose from 2,264 to 2,312 month to month (about a 2 percent increase); crash reports rose from 93 to 94; citations increased from 700 to 708; and traffic stops rose from 774 to 829. He also said that car gear crashes rose from 21 to 33, a 57 percent increase. Year-to-date calls for service were 13,019 in 2026 compared with 13,281 in 2025.

Longtime office mechanic Bob Parks will retire Aug. 7 after 43 years maintaining the fleet, the sheriff said, and Captain Dallas Smythe is preparing the department’s security presence for the county fair. Sign-ups for the fall Citizens Police Academy are underway, the sheriff added.

The sheriff said the department is preparing its 2027 budget and does not plan to request increases beyond contractual items such as food, jail medical services and body cameras; staff are scheduled to meet with the county council on Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m. He also said he will be absent for the Aug. 12 meeting because he has been selected to serve on a national advisory board for the FBI CJIS board representing Indiana; Chief Deputy Ott will attend in his place.

Mike Molineaux, with the county council, echoed the sheriff’s remarks about Blair and praised his community service and work ethic. Board members and the chair underscored the breadth of public support for Deputy Samuelson and cautioned that, while the deputy has shown progress, he still faces a long recovery.

Procedural business at the start of the meeting included approval of the June minutes by motion and voice vote. The meeting ended after a motion to adjourn passed by voice vote; the chair declared the meeting adjourned at 9:15 a.m.

The commission posted monthly activity reports for review; specific follow-ups include the scheduled budget meeting with county council on July 20 and the department’s application deadline for patrol deputy candidates on July 24.