Sheriff outlines staffing needs, body-cam payments and other public-safety costs

Sheriff Jeff Benicky briefed the commission on patrol and jail operations and on capital items that will affect the 2027 budget. He said average jail populations have risen toward 20 and proposed adding two deputies to improve shift coverage. The sheriff flagged equipment needs: upgrades to five HVAC units at jail facilities, replacement of old cameras (15 cameras on legacy systems), and ongoing costs for a new body- and in-car-camera system that carries a five-year payment schedule.

Benicky described nonrecurring capital requests and operational costs for personnel, noting a recent rescue incident in which a deputy suffered carbon monoxide exposure and was briefly hospitalized after entering a burning residence to effect rescues. He also discussed use of asset-forfeiture funds to buy vests, tasers and a canine unit in prior cycles and noted the county is absorbing the recurring installment payment for a body-cam system.

The sheriff discussed process-service workload (1,353 papers served in 2025) and the operational burden that serving civil papers places on patrol staffing. Commissioners asked staff to look into outside process-service options and costs.

What happens next: the sheriff's office will refine budget figures for personnel and equipment and return those line items for commission consideration as the county finalizes the 2027 budget.