OSAGE COUNTY — Hometown hero Ben Sallin was promoted to corporal on Dec. 1, 2024.

“Deputy Sallin has demonstrated outstanding dedication and professionalism in serving our community. His promotion to corporal is well-earned, and I have no doubt he will continue to lead with integrity and commitment,” said Sheriff Michael Bonham.

Sallin  attended St. George Catholic School and after graduating from Linn R-2, served in the Army (Infantry) for five years before returning home in 2015. With a degree in Horticulture/Landscaping, Sallin worked as a landscaper while earning a second degree in Fish and Wildlife Management.

“I was originally going to be a Conservation agent,” Sallin explained. “I made it through the entire, very lengthy process, up to a job offer. By that point, (my son) Mason was established in school (St. George), and (my wife) Kim was working at the Health Department, and we didn’t really want to have to move counties, so I opted not to go (that) route. After being in El Paso for so long and not having any family around, we decided it’s worth sticking around to have that.”

Sallin said he became involved with the Sheriff’s office through their volunteer program.

“I did a couple things with (Major Shaffer),” Sallin said. “He really drew me into the whole thing and pushed for me to make the switch to law enforcement. I guess I was just looking for something with a little more meaning to it. After being in the military, landscaping - while I loved doing it - didn’t quite check all the boxes.

“Kim was working with the Health Department,” he continued. “She’s a big fan of giving back to the community. So, I kind of feel like, between the two of us, we get to give back a lot. That makes me feel good, because it’s the community I grew up in.”

Sallin said he feels like the job is a good fit for him for a variety of reasons. “I like working with the county,” he said. “I like giving back to where I grew up. I know a lot of people, which some say can make the job a little more difficult. Honestly, I think it makes it easier. I know my way around. I know a lot of people, so it’s easy to talk. I like the freedom of being able to move around the county, instead of being tied down to a desk. I never was really a desk person.

“I like working with people for the most part,” Sallin added. “The job’s something different all the time, which is good. It’s not monotonous. We’ve got our things we do on the regular but you never know what the next call is going to be, so it keeps things interesting. The job tests your knowledge, is always pushing you to do something different, and takes you out of your comfort zone. I guess a lot of people aren’t necessarily a fan of that, but I don’t mind being out of my comfort zone here and there.”

Along with his work as a deputy, Sallin has found another way to give back, through Always Tracking K9 Services, LLC and the purchase of Alfa, an 18-month-old German Shepherd.

“Alfa will be certified for narcotics, search and rescue, obedience, and he’ll be an apprehension dog as well,” Sallin said. “So, that’s going to make things a lot easier for us, as deputies, when it comes to finding and making drug arrests. And it’ll make our cases that much more solid. There’s so much case law out there for dogs, on them alerting to a car, and it’s hard to argue with the dog’s nose. They can smell a whole lot of things through the smallest amount of spaces.”

Sallin said Alfa will also be available to surrounding counties, as well as local businesses and schools. He wanted to be clear that he sees Alfa as a community resource.

“That credit isn’t even with me, because I didn’t do anything other than the legwork,” He said. “In my opinion, he belongs to the community, because they paid for him. They paid for the dog, the training, and the equipment. We wouldn’t have any of it without them.”