Chippewa County Undersheriff receives the FBI Director’s Award for service to community and work with TRIDENT

This story was produced by My UP News correspondent Jessica Goska, find the original story here.

Earlier this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) paid a surprise visit to the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Department, where Undersheriff Ryan Hering was presented with a special award. 

For his seven years of service with the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force (TRIDENT), Hering received the FBI Director’s Award. Not many people receive the honor, and Hering said, “It was nice to see all that hard work recognized.” 

TRIDENT officers slow the flow of narcotics into Luce, Chippewa and Mackinaw counties and work on cases of human trafficking. 

Physically and emotionally, the work can be taxing, but Hering stayed on the job far longer than most. He credits that to a great team and his drive to help people in his community. 

“I was the one that was fortunate enough to be recognized for that, but I had a great team around me,” said Hering. “I enjoyed going to work every day.” 

To this day, Hering keeps in touch with several of the people impacted by his TRIDENT work. One of those people is a woman who lost her son to addiction. 

“I think that relationship with the community is how I justify enjoying every day, and you get those calls from the community, and that’s what keeps you going,” Hering explained. 

While the FBI Director’s Award may be the greatest material honor ever bestowed upon Hering, he says that his recent promotion to Undersheriff holds more personal significance. That’s because the new title will allow him to continue doing what he loves: serving others. 

“I just hope to have the best impact I can on this office and keep on a tradition,” Hering explained. “I’ve been so proud to work for this office since 2010, and I want to see that keep going.”