Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Gunner Gilland has taken on the title of lieutenant following the retirement of longtime Lt. Tom Fransen. Due to an Iowa law that imposes an age limit on active-duty law enforcement officers, Lt. Fransen will transition to a reserve deputy role, and Gilland was selected as his successor. Gilland joined the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office 11 years ago and says he is fortunate to work with a fantastic group of people every day.
Gilland formally became the office’s lieutenant in January, but he has spent the last six weeks working with Fransen to get up to speed with his new role.
Gilland is originally from the southwest Iowa community of Shelby. He attended Iowa Western Community College (IWCC) after high school and then transferred to Buena Vista, where he also played football, to complete his criminal justice degree. Gilland is also one of the area’s few qualified drug recognition experts (DRE). He earned his certification about a year ago, which involved a multi-week classroom course and hands-on training in Jacksonville, Fla. Now, as the third-highest ranking person in the Sheriff’s Office, Gunner says he will still be part of the patrol schedule, but his focus will be more on operations and safety.
Gilland adds that local law enforcement is fortunate to enjoy widespread support from the communities they serve, and residents can expect the same high-quality service they have grown used to and appreciate moving forward.
