I would like to take this opportunity to explain to the taxpayers of the county,  the workings of the Sheriffs office budget. My budget is broken down in to 3 main areas.

#1 is the Sheriff Office budget.  Salaries for all officers , clerical staff etc. are taken out of this budget.  Also, vehicle purchases, fuel, repairs, tires, uniforms, equipment, mandatory officer training expenses 40 hours per year per officer,  ammunition, office supplies,DUI Blood draws, overtime etc. We have a total of 9 full time officers which includes  the Sheriff and Undersheriff. We are very fortunate to have a great working relationship with all law enforcement entities in Brown County.  It has been over a year since Brown County officers started patrolling the county  24 hours a day every day of the week, prior to this, officers usually went home around 2 a.m. and we responded to calls if an incident occurred.  With the increase in criminal activity, it is a must to have officers patrolling the county 24 hours a day seven days a week.  This enhances our ability to respond in a faster manner and also allows us to have officer presence in smaller towns, in the county or on country roads any hour of the night and day.  Our officers have prevented criminal activity in the early morning hours by making routine traffic stops and showing officer presence by being seen in rural areas.

#2 is the Sheriff Dispatch Budget.  Salaries for dispatch personnel, phone systems, upgrading admin and 911 system and equipment, update computers and equipment, mapping systems, audio/video recording system and  upgrades, Emergency Medical Dispatch training, Dispatchers CPR certification, IT provider, other dispatcher training and certification,  uniforms, dispatch equipment repairs and upgrades, overtime, secondary recording system for child abuse investigations, etc. We currently have  5 full-time and 1 part-time dispatcher.   We are currently 2 dispatchers short. Our dispatch center currently dispatches for the Sheriffs office, Hiawatha Police Department, Sac and Fox, Iowa, Squad 48, Town and Country Ambulance, Search and Rescue, Weather alerts, KHP in our area, area fire departments. In 2012 our dispatch center received approximately 10,884 calls.  In 2013---11,707 calls and as of 7-10-2014----5,891 calls.  These can range from 911 calls, officer traffic stops, reports from the public, vehicle unlocks, questions/inquiries, weather related, suspicious activity, criminal activity, etc.  By the end of the year we are expecting an average of 1,000 calls each month.  This is a lot of responsibility on the dispatch staff to make sure calls are handled accordingly.

#3 is the Sheriff jail budget. Salaries for the jail personnel, food for inmates, repairs, uniforms for staff and inmates, utilities such as water, gas and electricity for the whole facility,  inmate health care, juvenile housing expense @ $150 per day per juvenile housed,  inmate transportation expense, staff training and certification, cost of keeping the facility in compliance with mandatory regulations and general repairs and upkeep, jail computers and repairs, jail audio/video security equipment and repairs and updates, overtime, etc. We currently have 8 full time jailers and 1 part-time jailer, 1 part-time transport officer,  and we are currently 1 jailer short. This is one of the hardest areas to budget because  of too many variables. If we have a high inmate count, we spend a lot more money on food.  If the inmate comes to our facility with a health issue we have to adequately provide for their needs.  Many times before inmates come to our facility they neglect their own medical needs and if we would follow suit, a law suit would be eminent. By law, the jail has to provide for an inmates basic care.  They are fed nutritious meals as required by current jail standards,  clothed, and given adequate medical care.  The more inmates we have in jail, the higher the expenses.  Another unpredictable expense is housing juveniles and by law they cannot be housed in our facility.  This means transporting the juvenile to a Detention Center which usually charges us $150 each day plus the added cost of transporting to and from the detention facility. Total county budget is approximately $9,200,000 and the current Sheriffs office budget for dispatch, jail and office is approximately 1,300,000. I make it a point to make sure all expenses are needed and justified and require that employees are actively performing their assigned duties. A simple mistake in our profession can cost us and the taxpayer a great deal.

The responsibility to run the Sheriffs office as it should be is huge, but we have a county that is well worth the effort.  We also have a fine group of employees who take their job seriously and  make it possible for the Sheriffs office  to be operated as required, 24 hours a day seven days a week.   We have great civilian law enforcement partners within our county as there are many  proactive citizens who call us when they have questions or concerns.  A dedicated, professional law enforcement entity is a must in order for families and businesses to thrive in any given community.