(La Porte County, IN) - Soon there will be a new sheriff in town. Ron Heeg won the recent election over Andy Hynek, which the current sheriff says will ensure a smooth transition.

Sheriff John Boyd will be stepping aside after completing his second term. Boyd says he picked Heeg to be his chief deputy eight years ago with the aim of long-term stability within the department. “He was selected as chief deputy for a reason, because I saw his leadership potential; I saw that he had potential to someday take over the reins of the department,” Boyd said.

Following Wednesday’s election, Boyd looked ahead with confidence to his final months in office. He is confident that the transition to Heeg’s command will be seamless. “Really there won’t be a transition. He’s going to continue to do his job, which is running the day-to-day operations of the department,” Boyd said. “There’s no learning curve for him. He’s been preparing for the last eight years, and he’s in a position now that he is ready to take over. I have no reservations.”

Boyd emphasized his confidence in Heeg: “I could leave tomorrow, and there would be no drop-off; in fact, there would just be improvements, so I’m really excited about what the future holds for the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office, for the people of La Porte County, and for Ron Heeg.”

Heeg has been with the La Porte County Sheriff’s Department for about 25 years.