Let's Cut Waste. Not Personnel

By Mark J. Adams

The next Sheriff must be willing to seek ideas and suggestions from Sheriff Department members and the citizens of the county to battle the budget and reduce the wasting of taypayers money.

As a Patrol Deputy in the North County, I assist citizens with solving problems both personal and within their neighborhood on a daily basis. Having worked the Coast, South and North Substations I know each area has its own unique personality and problems. The priority to solve these problems will be based on input from the citizens and deputies of each area. As your Sheriff, my Command Staff and I will continue to meet with community leaders and the citizens to forge programs to solve current problems and identify others that may occur in the future.

Here are some of my goals

1. Separate the training budget from the general fund. This will be a "regenerating fund". Within one year, we will no longer require funding for training from the County.

2. Replace the majority of our jail transportation vans with vans that run off LNG. A gallon of gas cost approximately $3.05. A gallon of LGN cost approximately $2.06.

3. Explore and implement a paperless system within the areas of operation in the Sheriff's Department that would be beneficial and practical.

4. Explore and implement the use of solar power throughout the Sheriff's Department. Our annual electricity bill is approximately $439,000.00

5. Add an online reporting form on the Sheriff's Department website. This would allow citizens to report non-criminal matters and certain misdemeanor crimes allowing deputies to remain on proactive patrol.

6. Expand the use of our Explorer program allowing our Explorers to handled non-criminal matters. This frees up Deputies to remain on patrol. It also provides the Explorer an opportunity to use and hone skills they will need in their Law Enforcement career.

7. Begin planning for a new Property Building and adding an additional officer. The current Property Office is too small for our Sheriff's Department. In 2008, the property office handled 149,000 pieces of property. It destroyed 72,767. In 2009, it handled 106,000 pieces of property. The exact total number of pieces of property being held is unknown; it is estimated between 300,000 to 600,000 per the Property Officers.

8. Issue concealed weapons permits to citizens of this county who request and meet the requirements.

9. Form a group, consisting of Deputies and citizens to develop a "citizen's service survey" form. The form will be sent to citizens who call us to report a crime or ask for our assistance. It will not, be used for disciplinary purposes, rather as a way to improve our interaction with the public and gauge how we are doing our job.

10. I will work with State Corrections and implement a program similar to theirs regarding use of inmate labor. Currently we only have approximately 50 trustees on our Honor Farm. By setting up a program that uses inmates who are sentenced to the main jail and female jail we can provide maintenance and cleanup crews throughout the county. I believe the cost to oversee the inmates would be minimal compared to the services provided to the cities and county areas.

11. I will actively seek out funding from the Federal, State and private level for 3 patrol dogs, (canine units).

12. Our drug detection dog will go through all areas of the jail on at a monthly basis.

What ideas do have that will help us provide for your safety and protect your property? Send me your comments and suggestions.