Photo provided by Joe Brogan Joe Brogan, currently chief deputy for Baraga County Sheriff’s Office, announced his run for sheriff Friday.

L’ANSE — A longtime Baraga County sheriff’s deputy is tossing his hat in the ring for the department’s top spot. 

Chief Deputy Joe Brogan filed as a candidate for the sheriff position Friday. Brogan has spent 16 of his 18 years in law enforcement with the department, where his roles have included secondary road patrol deputy, field training deputy, evidence technician, property room manager, taser instructor and defensive tactics instructor. 

With a number of people in the department retiring, Brogan felt it was the right time to run. 

“I want to keep going in the right direction,” he said. 

Brogan said one of his top goals is to communicate more with other agencies in the area. With four deputies to work the road, if someone calls in sick, the department doesn’t have the flexibility to add a fill-in, Brogan said. And having a deputy work around the clock presents a safety issue. 

“If we could get other departments on board and come up with a schedule that works for everybody, it would be safer,” he said. 

Brogan also wants the department to communicate more with the public and community organizations. 

“I like to be upfront with everything that’s going on with the public,” he said. “The more we communicate the better … the more the public knows, the more they’ll be able to help when we do need information from the public.” 

Another priority is building stronger ties with the schools in the area. Baraga County no longer has a DARE program, and while the Michigan State Police has a trooper who comes to schools, he is spread too thin to visit often, Brogan said. 

“I would like to have a deputy who can concentrate on the schools in our county, talk to kids, educate them about the dangers of drugs, alcohol and other risky behaviors,” he said. 

Brogan said he thinks people should vote for him because of a proven track record of serving the community. 

“I have a solid record for a good work ethic,” he said. “That’s not going to change. I love working for the people of Baraga County, and I look forward to having the opportunity to do that.”

Brogan has been interested in law enforcement since college, when he graduated from Northern Michigan University with a degree in criminal justice before graduating from its police academy. 

He hadn’t known what he wanted to do when he went to college, but found criminal justice after talking with a guidance counselor. During college, he started working for NMU Public Safety, doing campus security and working at events such as hockey games. 

After graduating from the academy in December 2001, he went into law enforcement. 

Every day brings something different, Brogan said. 

“A lot of times it’s in a positive environment,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not. When it’s not, sometimes it’s as simple as giving them a helping hand. It makes their day a little better, so something that started negative ends up being a positive contact.”