By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN – Buchanan Public Safety Director Tim Ganus has seen a lot during his 40-plus year career in law enforcement. He served in a variety of roles during his tenure at the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department before coming to Buchanan more than a decade ago.
Ganus is retiring this week after a 40 year career in law enforcement. A retirement celebration is set for Friday, April 26 at 1 p.m. at the Buchanan Community Center on South Oak Street in Buchanan. He was also honored Monday at the Buchanan City Commission meeting.
When asked what the biggest change has been during his time in law enforcement, the answer was easy. “Wow, it’s the technology,” he said. “When I started, the police car had a radio and a switch to turn on the overhead lights. Now there are computers and cameras in the car, on you and in the backseat.”
“Now, if it’s not on a recording, it pretty much didn’t happen,” he added. “Any interviews we conduct are also on camera. Having everything on camera actually has helped the public’s perception of officers; cameras are good for officers. It shows the public we have amazing officers out there every day.”
Ganus said that while being part of a small department (there are seven other police officers besides him) can be challenging in terms of recruiting and retaining officers, the rewards are worth it. “We are blessed with a community that supports our police department and our officers,” he said.
Ganus has lived in the Buchanan area for 30 years but is a Baroda native and 1983 graduate of Lakeshore High School. After high school, he said that he was looking for a career where he could help people and make a difference. It was then that he met a police officer who impressed him enough to make him consider police work as his career.
He had the opportunity to attend the Police Academy through the Eau Claire Police Department and worked there for a couple of years under the late Police Chief Joe Garski before joining the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department.
Ganus’ 27-year tenure at the sheriff’s department included time working at the jail, undercover, 9-1-1 dispatch, and on patrol. He retired from there in 2012 as an operations lieutenant. He noted that being part of a larger department was much different than here in Buchanan as there were more resources and people dedicated to specific jobs.
After a brief stint in the private sector, he said he missed police work and contacted a former sheriff’s department colleague, William Marx, who was the Buchanan Police Chief about a job. Marx later became the Buchanan City Manager, retiring from that post in late 2020.
Ganus has been at Buchanan ever since, first as a part-time officer, then as assistant chief in 2013, chief in 2020 and public safety director since 2022.
As the public safety director, he has overseen the administration of the fire and police departments. He also helped oversee the department’s move from the old Ross-Sanders House to the current location in a former bank building on East Front Street. “Being a police officer is a good career, I’ve gotten to do so many things,” he said.
Ganus said it will be his co-workers that he will miss the most. “I will miss the people,” he said. “It’s like family here. In a smaller department, you are a family … The police officers I’ve worked with are some of the bravest, non-selfish people I’ve ever met.”
His plans for retirement include spending more time with his family and doing some traveling.
Ganus’ retirement isn’t the only change this year for the Southwest Michigan law enforcement community. Berrien County Sheriff Paul Bailey retired at the end of 2023 after a long career with the sheriff’s department and Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke announced last week that he won’t be seeking a third term as sheriff.
Bailey retired after a 40 year law enforcement career. An Eau Claire native, he worked for a couple of local departments for a few years before joining the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department. He was first elected sheriff in 2000.
“It’s been a wonderful career, I’ve had wonderful people I surrounded myself by,” he said last December. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this job on my own. I’ve been blessed to be sheriff for 23 years … We’ve all worked together to make Berrien County one of the best places to live in Michigan and I think it is the best place to live.”
Behnke’s career at Cass County began in 1987 when he was hired as a sheriff’s deputy. 
Since then, he has served as the dispatch center supervisor, undersheriff and the last eight years as sheriff. In the press release announcing his decision, he thanked all the law enforcement officers and support staff he has served with over the years.
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