Sheriff Mark Danels said Thursday that redactions to a jail risk‑assessment prepared by the National Institute of Jail Operations were necessary to protect operational vulnerabilities and staff, and that the full document had been shared with county leaders only under attorney‑client privilege.

The sheriff told listeners the assessment was requested to guide a decision on whether to remodel the county jail or build a new facility and called the report a standard security practice for sensitive public‑safety sites. "I'd love to release the whole thing. I would love to but I can't," Danels said. "My job, number 1 responsibility is to protect my operation, the men and women within."

Danels said the firm that prepared the report, which he described as nationally recognized for work on jails, identified infrastructure and operational vulnerabilities that, if publicly disclosed, could be used to exploit weaknesses in the jail. He added the report was reviewed with the county attorney and shared with the board of supervisors in executive session under attorney‑client privilege. "If a judge wants to release it, let the judge do it," Danels said, noting that legal counsel guided the redaction process.

County Attorney Lori Zucco and her civil team were singled out by the sheriff for their work on the matter. Danels said the office's legal advice formed the basis for the redactions and that releasing the full risk assessment outside of the protected context would, in his view, endanger staff and inmates and "weaponize" the information for those seeking to exploit weaknesses.

The sheriff said he planned additional media appearances to explain the office's position and reiterated that residents who want more disclosure could pursue the matter in court. He emphasized he would not waive legal protections he said are necessary to safeguard the jail and its staff.

No formal vote, court order or specific timetable for additional public release was mentioned during the broadcast.