Van Renterghem Talks About His First Month On The Job

Mahaska County Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem

Oskaloosa, Iowa – For the new Mahaska County Sheriff, Russell Van Renterghem, transitioning from a lieutenant for the Oskaloosa Police Department to the office of Sheriff has been an interesting one.

Van Renterghem says that the transition is going “very well,” but he understood and could see the uncertainty that employees in the office had with new leadership. “I understand that.”

Van Renterghem said that he’s spoken with his staff about expectations, “and they’ve all been very receptive about that.”

“I’m enjoying working in the wide-open county,” says Van Renterghem who spent the majority of his law enforcement career within city limits. “I’m enjoying it. I really am. I’m going on a lot of calls, helping the deputies as much as I can.”

Van Renterghem has been very active both behind the wheel, helping to provide coverage in the county, and also in meetings helping to plan the way forward for the office.

Twenty-four hour coverage in the county is a campaign promise that Van Renterghem said he and his Chief Deputy Scott Miller are working on implementing, but those final touches are waiting on budget decisions by the county board of supervisors.

This is Van Renterghem’s first time working and preparing a budget for presentation to the board of supervisors. Among other concessions for adding a deputy to bring the staff back to where it was 12 years ago, is stretching an additional year out of a squad car. “I have a good crew. They take good care of their squad cars. That’s their office and they do very well taking care of it.”

Another of Van Renterghem’s new experiences includes working with different parts of the county, like the Eddyville Blakesburg Fremont School District, where he worked with Emergency Management and Wapello County on active shooter training.

“The first month has gone great. It’s going great,” added Van Renterghem.