Berrien County Sheriff Chuck Heit has been formally sworn in after winning his first full term as sheriff in the November elections.
Judge Gary Bruce did the honors at a ceremony Wednesday.
Heit has been the sheriff for about a year after being appointed to the position when former Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey retired. Bailey was on hand to congratulate Heit, who had been his undersheriff for 21 years.
Heit thanked all of his supporters in the election and promised to be a fair and dedicated sheriff.
“As your sheriff, I’ll work hard to see that justice is served fairly, and that we will always look to protect the victims and those who cannot protect themselves,” Heit said.
Several Berrien County elected officials, along with Heit’s family, were on hand for his swearing in. With it now finished, he officially begins his term.
Heit was the police chief of New Buffalo when Bailey asked him to come to the sheriff’s department back in 2003. Prior to that, Heit had worked for the Buchanan Police Department and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.
