County getting back on track with sheriff's budget
Danielle Switalski
Sanders County has been in a constant need for more law enforcement for as long as Sheriff Gene Arnold can remember. However, this year Sanders County is sitting at a more comfortable spot than in past years with their reserve deputies and continuous search for grant money.
Although there is a need for more law enforcement personnel, a fact that will not be changing anytime soon, the commissioners have given a fair share of money to the public safety reserve budget at their meeting on Thursday which enables the Sheriff’s Office to afford the reserve deputies.
“We could always use more law enforcement, but the money just isn’t there for more, but we are not under-funded,” said Chairman Carol Brooker.
Eight percent of the county budget has gone for cash reserves for the Sheriff’s budget. The cash reserves is a fund necessary for the law enforcement to operate on, at least until November when taxes come in.
Despite the constant need for more law enforcement, Sanders County has a set amount of reserve deputies who help to ensure that someone is out patrolling the streets at all times. The reserve deputies are available to help the deputies in emergency situations.
On top of that, Arnold said he had to make a number of cuts at the beginning of the year, but he is now starting to replace the cuts he has made, particularly in the equipment section of the budget. Arnold said they have been able to secure a portion of grant money that has allowed them to update their equipment with radars, portable breath testers and video surveillance for the police cars which can cost anywhere between $2000 and $3000.
The Sheriff’s Office is also operating in the black again with their prisoners. There are twelve inmates from Idaho and the Sheriff’s Office receives $47 per day for keeping these inmates. This funding has kept the jail in Sanders County operating.
However, the real difference between Sanders County and other counties are the reserve deputies, which have made an impact in the county by increasing coverage for less money.
The reserves are volunteer deputies who do not get paid for training and have to buy their own equipment and uniforms. The reserves have to put in 16 hours per month in order to maintain their reserve status.
However, this also leads into one of the reasons the budget has been a little tighter this summer, said Brooker because two deputies are out on workers comp, so when the reserves have to be pulled in both the reserves and workers comp have to be paid.
“The budget is tight, there is no fluff in it,” said Brooker.
The reserves are used to cover additional shifts when deputies fall sick or are on vacation, which is particularly helpful during the summer months. Common duties of the reserve deputies this summer have been overseeing the transfer of prisoners to Missoula or Butte and doing campground checks.
The Sheriff’s Office contracts with the Forest Service to do campground checks, which, as well as transferring prisoners, takes a large chunk of time and by having the reserves they are able to accomplish these tasks without taking a deputy off patrol duty.
“I have three reserves that work quite a bit, but five reserves in total, but some can’t work all the time and they’re busy with their own jobs, but they are available to cover some of the time,” said Arnold.
The Sheriff’s Office has also recently received a COPS grant to bring on one more deputy, which Arnold said will happen when they see fit. However, the grant money will only pay for the new deputy for the next three years and Arnold said the Sheriff’s Office is going to have to fund the position on the fourth year.
Training for new reserve deputies just ended. There is more to come on the reserve deputies. Please check next week’s paper for a more personal look at some of the men behind the uniform.