Pulaski County Sheriff Updates Commissioners on Random Drug Tests, Military Equipment

Pulaski County Justice Center
Pulaski County Justice Center

A random drug test recently done on work release inmates at the Pulaski County Jail found positive results on five out of the six tested, according to Sheriff Jeff Richwine, who reported that to the commissioners this week.

“The stuff that’s getting in the back of that jail is getting there two ways: work release or employees. This time it was work release. None of it got back, but these guys, when they were at work, were taking drugs,” said Sheriff Richwine.

The drug test administered checks for ten drugs, including spice, or synthetic marijuana, which was the drug found in the samples.

He has also gotten rid of some military equipment, including a pair of tear gas launchers that were used twice.

“We mailed those back to the military, so they’re gone. We want to keep some of the Humvees because they work well in the wintertime. The military called me, and we had two too many. We’re allowed four by the amount of people that we have working at the sheriff’s department. Logansport Police Department got those, and they came and picked those up, so they’re gone. Those are things we can never sell. Anything that’s tactical has got to go back, or it’s got to be switched to another department.”

Sheriff Richwine also told the commissioners that the job titles for the dispatchers have been rearranged as a husband and wife were both chief dispatchers which is a violation of the nepotism law. He said the funding for the positions will not change. The way things have been changed will allow the hire of part-time dispatchers. The commissioners thought that would be a positive move in the dispatch center.

Lastly, an idea for the inmates to tend a garden at a space on the Pleasant View Rest Home property will be considered.