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Days from retirement, Ingham sheriff reflects on half-century career

Gene Wriggelsworth photo
Scott Pohl
/
WKAR-MSU
Gene Wriggelsworth is retiring as Ingham County Sheriff at the end of the year.

At the end of the year, Ingham’s top cop is calling it a career. Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth has spent 50 years in law enforcement. We’ll talk with him about the changes he’s seen and the challenges he’s faced as he prepares to hand his department over to his son, Sheriff-elect Scott Wriggelsworth.

After a five-decade career, one of mid-Michigan’s longest-serving public officials is preparing to step down. At the end of the month, Ingham County Sheriff Gene Wriggelsworth will retire after 28 years as the county’s top law enforcement officer.

Wriggelsworth leaves a legacy of numerous public service initiatives, operated by nearly 200 people he himself has hired over the years. Soon, Gene Wriggelsworth will turn over his department to his successor, his son Scott, who currently serves with the East Lansing Police.

We talk with Gene Wriggelsworth about his career.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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