Randy Kloss announces campaign for Emmet County Sheriff

EMMET COUNTY — Emmet County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Randy Kloss recently announced his intention to run for the sheriff’s position.

Current Sheriff Pete Wallin will be retiring at the end of his term. His last day will be Dec. 31, 2024. The next four-year term for sheriff would be from 2025-2029.

More: Emmet County Sheriff Pete Wallin to retire at end of 2024

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Kloss is set to mark his 30th anniversary working for the Emmet County Sheriff’s Office in May. He first joined the department in 1994, starting as a Marine Patrol Deputy and later becoming Road Patrol Lieutenant.

Kloss grew up in Perry, Michigan but frequently visited the Northern Michigan area with his family. His father grew up in Harbor Springs and his older brother retired from the Michigan State Police after serving for many years as a trooper in the Petoskey area.

“I was raised in Perry, but my father grew up in Harbor Springs,” Kloss said in a press release. “We came back to visit family every summer and it was my first choice as a place to work and live. I was fortunate to be hired here right away.”

Kloss’ wife Erika is general manager of Filmore’s Restaurant in Petoskey. Together they have three sons, Brock, Blain and Brett.

Kloss said he first became interested in law enforcement as a career because of his older brother.

“It definitely interested me,” he said. “By the time I was in high school, I decided that’s what I wanted to do.”

Kloss said his integrity, empathy and experience make him an ideal candidate for sheriff.

“I want to change a few things, but I also want to keep the good work that we’ve done here going,” he said. “I want to make the department better.”

If elected, Kloss said he has identified several priorities to address, including seeking department accreditation through the Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police.

“We invested a lot of time moving towards accreditation a few years ago and it has recently been halted,” Kloss said in a press release. “This is a valuable program that helps establish expectations and procedures for our employees to follow. It’s important that we continue to evaluate ourselves as a department to ensure we are providing the best service that we can. I will immediately take steps to join Petoskey Public Safety and Harbor Springs Police Department in advancing our professionalism and level of service through this accreditation.”

Kloss also emphasized the need for increased efforts in drug diversion and enforcement, stating that “When we stop the trade of drugs in Emmet County, we impact five other areas of criminal conduct. We can do better with this, and our citizens deserve it.”

Kloss also identified improvements to the department’s road patrol building and stronger search and rescue efforts as priorities for him.

“I believe in more face-to-face contact with the public,” he added. “I was involved for many years with the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. We had a local run for many years, and I was like the team captain for the area in that. I’d like to have us focus more on helping charity wherever we can help them.”

Recruitment and retention remain a challenge for the department, as it is for other law enforcement agencies across the state. Kloss said he would like to set up funding that will allow the department to sponsor candidates through their academy training.

“That’s a big one, because we’ve in the past lost some really good deputies,” he said. “At this time our recruitment plan isn’t working that great. We need to get some funding set up so we can help us sponsor some of these individuals that we hire here, help them get through their academy without putting financial stress on them and go from there.”

More: Undersheriff Leirstein announces campaign for sheriff

Kloss’ campaign sets up a contested primary for the position. Undersheriff Matt Leirstein is also running for the sheriff’s seat.

The Randy Kloss for Emmet County Sheriff campaign is having a fundraiser from 4-7 p.m. on April 13 at Filmore’s.

“I look forward to sharing my vision for this office in the future and with greater detail,” Kloss said in a statement. “I’m excited for this opportunity and look forward to hearing from our citizens.”

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.  

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Randy Kloss announces campaign for Emmet County Sheriff