The Sheriff and Undersheriff function as the Executive and Operations Officers of the Sheriff's Office. They are responsible for ensuring that the agency has sufficient personnel and equipment to perform their functions. With ever tightening budgets, they constantly work to keep the department running as efficiently as possible with the resources available.

The other members of the administrative/clerical support staff include:

• An Administrative Assistant who supports the Sheriff and Undersheriff with a wide range of administrative duties including answering calls, composing correspondence, transcribing background investigations and internal investigations, ordering supplies, making travel arrangements, and arranging special events and presentations. This person also supervises payroll, oversees other internal financial duties and serves as a liaison with Human Resources

• An Administrative Supervisor who processes invoices for payment, prepares budgetary material for the agency, monitors and reports crime statistics, tracks training expenditures, creates reports and other department literature, serves as liaison with Information Services, creates web content, prepares grant requests, and assists the Command Staff with a wide range of administrative duties

• 5 Records Specialists who process police reports, crash reports, traffic citations, bond payments, warrant requests, handgun permits and registrations, fingerprinting, sex offender registrations, answer telephones, order supplies, process mail and subpoenas, foreclosures, requests for information and general correspondence

• Jail Administrative Assistant who supports the Jail Administrator with a wide range of administrative duties including payroll backup, cash management, and transcription of inmate incident reports and hearing boards

• An Inmate Billing and Collections Specialist who handles billing and reimbursement for inmate housing, and any medical expenses the inmate may have while in the jail, including hospital visits and prescription medications

• A Cadet who assists the support staff by answering phones, helping at the front counter, filing, and miscellaneous duties

Sheriff Frank Baker

Frank Baker joined the Allegan County Sheriff’s Office in 1990 as a full-time patrol deputy after serving as a patrol officer for three years with the Wayland Police Department. Frank is a graduate of both Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan University, and is a 2004 graduate of the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

In 1993 Frank was assigned to the Detective Bureau as a General Case Detective. While a Detective, he was trained as a hostage negotiator and a tactical team member.

Frank was promoted to Detective Sergeant in 2003, and then to Lieutenant later that same year, when he was placed in charge of the Services Division. In January of 2006, he was then assigned as Lieutenant of the Patrol Division, then later promoted to Captain. In early 2015, he was appointed Undersheriff, and subsequently was elected Sheriff, beginning his term in January 2017.

Frank Baker was awarded the Michigan State Police Award for Professional Excellence in 1997. He was selected as Child Advocate of the Year by Safe Harbor in 2001, where he served as a Board Member. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Allegan General Hospital Foundation, Allegan County Legal Assistance Center, and the Allegan County Children's Advocacy Center, where he has served for almost 14 years.

Undersheriff Michael Larsen

Mike Larsen joined the Allegan County Sheriff's Office in 1994 as a Corrections Officer, after completing military service in the United States Navy. In the Navy, he served in the Persian Gulf on board the Aircraft Carrier USS Ranger CV-61.

In 2003, Mike was promoted to Sergeant in the Corrections Division and later that year to Executive Sergeant. As Executive Sergeant, he assisted in implementing the Programs Division, which has several components that serve as best practice models nationally.

In 2007, Mike was promoted to Lieutenant and was assigned to the Services Division of Law Enforcement. After two years, Mike was transferred to the Road Patrol Division and was there until 2012. In 2013, Mike was assigned Captain of the Investigative Services. It is here that he remained until his appointment to Undersheriff in December, 2016.

Mike has received the following awards while serving with the Sheriff's Office: Award for Valor, Lifesaving Award, Deputy of the Year, Meritorious Unit Commendation, and various Letters of Commendation.

Mike is a graduate of the Grand Valley State University Police Academy and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.

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