Wood County Sheriff Jeff Sandy has only been on the job for three days but he's been working since the election on a major realignment of the department.

"We are forming a major crime unit and a uniform unit," said Sheriff Sandy.

The third branch is the confinement operations unit.

Sheriff Sandy said the department was not structured like this before.
"No it was not and we feel that we'll be able to have more leadership roles by doing it this way, more accountability," he said.

He is also trying to update the telecommunications system. One way is for deputies to be able to communicate with the office from their laptops in their cruisers.

"By doing so we anticipate saving Wood County citizens thousands of dollars in gasoline by the officers not having to come back down town when they're out in the rural parts of the county to turn in their reports and to obtain items that we would like to issue to them such as photographs of potential suspects."

They're in talks with the commissioners about this system and a better facility.

"One of our issues is a health hazard is the mold that's coming through the cement block of this building," he said.

Outside there are spare parts, vehicles and materials that have been here for up to 30 years.

"So we are going to be working closely with the commission, and the Wood County maintenance to clean up the outside of the sheriff's department," Sheriff Sandy said.

Together they're working to streamline the department inside and out.

Sheriff Sandy plans to move the concealed weapon permit program from the office at 328 Second Street to the building at Market Street.

He said this will allow the program to be open more days of the week with additional parking. It is scheduled to open by Feb. 1.