Todd Corbin to step up, bring new direction to Huron County Sheriff's Office

NORWALK — When a 23-year-old Todd Corbin first signed on with the Huron County Sheriff's Office, he said, he knew he wanted to serve."I always wanted to do it," he said. "There was something about the uniform."What Corbin didn't know at the time, he said, was in what capacity he wanted to serve. So he started, in 1998, as a corrections officer. Then he moved to road patrol in 2000, once commissioned as a sworn deputy. The following year, in response to 9/11, he took his sense of service to the Marines, spending time in Iraq before returning to his home town's sheriff's office.Corbin is now poised to serve on a new stage: On Jan. 1, he'll take over as Huron County's sheriff."I'm more excited now than I've ever been," Corbin said.Coming off a two-week training for new sheriffs through the Buckeye State Sheriff's Association, Corbin said he's already been in touch with local law enforcement agencies about the direction he plans to take the sheriff's office. He said collaboration among agencies, particularly in response to an ongoing opioid epidemic, will be a priority under his administration.He's also selected a chief deputy, Tod Wagner, and a jail administrator, Chuck Summers, to help him steer the agency during his tenure as sheriff. Both Wagner and Summers are currently road patrol sergeants with the sheriff's office.That both men have a history with the sheriff's office is a benefit in Corbin's view. That perspective means they already know and understand what can be improved within the office, he said, positioning them "ahead of the curve."Norwalk police Chief Dave Light said he believes Corbin is poised to take the Huron County Sheriff's Office in a positive direction. He said he and Corbin have already met to discuss future collaborations between their agencies. Further meetings between their and other agencies in the area are on the calendar."I'm excited to get things rolling," Light said.Beyond pushing for collaboration and communication within the county, Corbin counts several points among his plans for the agency. He said he hopes to "tighten up" jail operations under Summers' direction, in part by adjusting the shifts that employees work. He said he also hopes to reinstate the SWAT team that Corbin himself served on until outgoing Sheriff Dane Howard disbanded it.Corbin pointed to high-profile incidents in other communities across the country – school shootings, for example – to justify the need to a specialized unit locally."It's better to be safe than sorry," he said.Also in plans are meetings among first-responders in the county to establish plans for any large-scale catastrophes that could crop up locally. In case of a school shooting or chemical spill, he offered as examples, he feels it's important to identify how law enforcement, emergency medical personnel and city officials will work together to efficiently tackle situations.That's something he said he hasn't seen the county undertake lately. Neither, he said, has he seen the sort of collaboration on drug-related efforts, specifically among law enforcement, that he'd like to bring to Huron County.Corbin said his time as a reserve officer with the Norwalk Police Department last year particularly reinforced his belief this sort of collaboration is important. (He signed on with Norwalk police after Howard dismissed him on the basis that Corbin had engaged in partisan politics.)"Why do you want to duplicate investigations or resources if we're both going after the same person?" he asked."I think if we all band together, and collaborate, I think we can find the right answer," he added later of collaborative drug enforcement. "We may not be able to solve the problem quickly, but I think we can get a handle on it."Light, of the Norwalk Police Department, spoke similarly."In a rural setting like we're in," Light said,"it's imperative that we all work together to share the manpower, equipment and, most importantly, information."Within the Huron County Sheriff's Office, Corbin described hopes for a sense of professionalism and transparency that would encourage the community to recognize that deputies are there to help – rather than simply arrest – community members. He credited his military experience as a factor in his ability to lead, pledging to push his deputies toward excellence."I want them to excel," he said. "I want them to be consummate professionals in what they do."Corbin, who grew up in Willard and who earned a Navy Cross for heroism during an ambush in Iraq in 2005, is set to be sworn in on Dec. 28 at 4 p.m. at the Huron County Courthouse. He's set to take over as sheriff immediately after Howard retires on Dec. 31.Todd Corbin