Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt mans his department’s new, donated grill during a recent office cookout. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

If there is one thing that continues to stand out to me, it is how lucky I am to work alongside such great people. The staff at the Sheriff’s Office make my job easier every single day, and I cannot thank them enough. But it goes beyond just our office. Across the board, Tama County is filled with hardworking, dependable, and talented employees. Our department heads and elected officials are doing great work! Starting out as Sheriff has come with plenty of challenges, but I have leaned on some of the great employees while facing those challenges. The support from folks throughout the county has been incredible.

One of the fun goals I had when I first started was to get a grill for the Sheriff’s Office. I love to grill and I love to eat, and I figured, why not combine that with building a little community around here? To my surprise, someone donated a brand new grill to the office. I gave my word to keep their name private, but I want them to know just how much I appreciate it. I was honestly blown away by the gesture. Since then, we have had a few cookouts, and they have turned into something really special. At one of our biggest, we had employees from just about every department stop by for lunch. It has been a great way to bring people together. And to be clear, every bit of food and supplies has been donated. That kind of generosity says a lot about this community.

We also recently made another exciting addition with a UTV, or side by side, which we purchased using forfeiture funds. This is something our office has needed for quite some time, and I think it will be even more useful than we imagined. Just this past weekend, we were involved in a search near Vining where it would have been a huge help. We are expecting it to arrive by mid May, fully outfitted with lights and emergency gear. And yes, we will have the slow moving vehicle sign on it. This new tool is going to make a big difference for our operations in both day to day work and emergency situations. This was a local purchase to keep the business in Tama County!

Another priority of mine has been strengthening the relationship between the Sheriff’s Office and the County Attorney’s Office. I truly believe that working together more closely is one of the best ways we can serve the people of Tama County. While we have not had the time yet to sit down and map out every detail, the conversations we have had so far have been really encouraging. There has been a lot of good communication, and I am confident that we are moving in the right direction. I am excited to keep building on that and seeing how we can make things even better.

To wrap up this month’s update, I just want to take a moment to continue to recognize all the folks who work behind the scenes in Tama County. A lot of what makes this place run smoothly never makes the news or gets public attention, but it matters. It matters a lot. With all the noise around budgets and county business, it can be easy to overlook the people who are doing the work that truly keeps things going. They are what makes Tama County a great place to work, a great place to raise a family, and a great place to call home.

Until next time!

Casey Schmidt is Sheriff of Tama County, Iowa. He took office in 2025.