By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A recent hire in the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office has moved off probationary status.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Merit Board approved moving Sam Phat to being a merit officer at its regular meeting on Wednesday, May 11.

KCSO is fully staffed with 38 deputies, according to Sgt. Chris Francis, public information officer for the office.

Phat, who formerly worked for the North Webster Police Department, was hired in October 2021. KCSO Chief Deputy Shane Bucher asked the board if he could be moved to merit status.

He reminded them that the board had previously approved agreeing to move new hires off probationary status after they had six months of service instead of a year. That was if the officer had attended a certified police academy previously and was a lateral, or came from another agency. The officer’s superiors must also be OK with the move.

“There’s no disciplinary issues at all?” asked Board member Travis McConnell regarding Phat.

“No. He’s doing a good job,” said Bucher. “He gets along with the guys … No concerns at all.”

“I call that one of our success stories,” said Board President Ron Truex. “We make a plan, hire somebody that’s already through all the training. It’s a win-win.”

In other business, the merit board:

• Heard from Bucher that there were 249 people incarcerated in the Kosciusko County Jail as of Wednesday’s meeting and another 80 in work release.
• Heard from Bucher that the next class of the Kosciusko County Jail Chemical Addiction Program (JCAP) was to graduate on Friday, June 17.
• Heard from Kosciusko County Administrator Marsha McSherry that the showers in the jail are still being refinished. They are being worked on block by block.