WARSAW —Shane Coney has always wanted to be a firefighter and has spent the past 18 years of his life fulfilling that dream in addition to taking it one step further and becoming a police officer as well.

Shane Coney, new jail commander for Kosciusko County, has been involved in law enforcement with the Noble County Sheriff’s Department since 1999, starting as a confinement officer, then a road officer and the last three years as jail commander, before coming to Kosciusko County. (Photo by Deb Patterson)

Coney was hired as the new jail commander at the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office. He started his career in law enforcement with the Noble County Sheriff’s Department in 1999 as a confinement officer and after five years he was hired as a merit deputy. He served as a road officer for that department from 2004 to 2015 then became jail commander where he spent the previous three years before coming to Kosciusko County.

“I like corrections, it’s different and never ending with the laws and changes,” said Coney.

Coney grew up in Albion and graduated from Central Noble High School. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps straight out of high school and served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Shield. He served as an ammunition tech, issuing out bullets to the troops. His boot camp was at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego before going to the Redstone Arsenal, near Huntsville, Ala. From there he spent one year in Okinawa and returned to Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, N.C. He was then deployed to Saudi Arabia ending his service back at Camp Lejeune.

During his time in service he married Tamara, who is director of nursing at Courtyard Healthcare Center, Goshen. The couple, who have been married for 28 years, have three boys — Jonathan, Justin and Jeremy; and three granddaughters.

Following his time in the Marine Corps, Coney returned to the area and worked in a factory for six years. “I didn’t like factory work and a position in the jail (Noble County) opened up. I applied and have been there (with the sheriff’s department) ever since.”

It was also shortly after getting out of the service Coney joined the Albion Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter. He has received his firefighter one and two training as well as tragedy and tactics training. He is also an emergency responder.

When he’s not working or responding to fire calls, you’ll find him working on his new home. “We’re in the process of building a home in Noble County on 14 acres,” Coney stated. He noted the family moved to the town of Albion because of their boys and school, now the boys are out of school.

The country home and acreage fits perfectly with Coney’s hobbies and interests. “I love hunting and fishing,” he said. He also admitted he occasionally works out.

Coney stated he likes helping people and admitted he is not the greatest jail commander in the world but he’s been through a number of sheriffs during his career. “I’m here to help Kyle with the transition, help him make it go the direction he wants to go in,” said Coney, adding he loves the sheriff’s department.