Sheriff's office reports staffing gains, DARE expansion and rising workload; evidence storage and firearms creating capacity pressure

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office told county commissioners Tuesday that jail and patrol staffing are improving but that detectives and patrol remain stretched by an increase in serious calls and investigative demands.

Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said the department currently has “8 open positions in the jail. We currently have 6 of those are in background, and 2 of those 6 are conditional offers.” The spokesperson added patrol has “3 open positions with a couple in the background right now.”

The office said its civil division is fully staffed “for the first time in ever” and functioning well. The briefing also described an expansion of the county’s DARE program: “We have right now our first class, we had 55 graduates at Pioneer,” the spokesperson said, and the office plans classes next year at two smaller schools, Great View and Southside. The office named Nicholas Monteo as its newest DARE officer.

Staff…