Michigan State Police detective sergeant Kevin Conklin will soon be retiring from that agency after 24 years to take a new job. He’s been selected to be the next Van Buren County undersheriff by Sheriff Dan Abbott, who tells WSJM News Conklin will be a huge asset to the office.
“The knowledge and experience that he gained with the Michigan State Police, everything from working homicide team to running their detective bureau, to their fugitive team to a road sergeant to a trooper, it’s just a wealth of knowledge that he’s bringing to our office,” says Abbott.
He adds Conklin, who grew up in Decatur, is ready to make the move.
“We’ve built a strong command staff and a strong department over the last three years. I wanted to bring the right guy in, and he was ecstatic about it,” Abbott says. The sheriff adds as he felt it was important to hire someone with deep roots in the community, Conklin’s name kept coming up over and over.
Conklin will take over as Van Buren County undersheriff on September 3. The job came open when current Undersheriff Chad Hunt asked to return to the Uniform Response Division in order to have more time with his family. Sheriff Abbott commended him for that, saying family should “always be a major part of your decision in your career.”
