Sheriff vs County Agency severs records from county server

The Pacific County Sheriff’s Office is taking a decisive step by migrating all its files to a privately controlled Google Cloud service, a move driven by escalating tensions with the Pacific County General Administration concerning “information leaks. ” For two years, the sheriff's office has been investigating how the media acquires sensitive information, prompting this significant operational shift. In light of this transfer, the sheriff is now tasked with managing public records requests, a role previously held by two specialized county employees. Concerns have been raised regarding the sheriff's capacity to fulfill these requests accurately and in compliance with public records laws, which demand prompt responses. This development follows the county commissioners' controversial decision to remove jail management from the sheriff due to the risk of losing their insurer, the state risk pool.

If the state pool withdraws its support, the county could face exorbitant costs in seeking private insurance. The implications of this data transfer extend beyond operational efficiency, potentially affecting the transparency and accountability of the sheriff's office. As the situation unfolds, residents and stakeholders will be closely monitoring how these changes impact public trust and the management of public records in Pacific County.