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Sheriff presents 2024 annual report; seeks contract and staffing increases tied to Harrisburg growth
Summary
Sheriff Steve Swenson presented Lincoln County's 2024 annual report, reviewed staffing, training and grants, and said he intends to ask for three deputies and five patrol vehicles in 2026 tied to a larger Harrisburg contract and population growth. He also reported $2.2 million in inmate housing charges.
Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Swenson presented the sheriff's office annual report March 25, reviewed 2024 activity and grant awards, and outlined budget and staffing requests for 2026 tied to population growth in Harrisburg.
Swenson said the 2024 annual report is published on the Lincoln County website and highlighted staffing levels (about 53 total employees across patrol, jail, civil and communications), training achievements, grant-funded equipment purchases and enforcement metrics including citations, traffic crashes and drug arrests. He said the sheriff's office obtained federal and state grants last year (about $111,803 in one reporting period), purchased digital radios with Homeland Security funds, and operates a 24/7 program largely funded by fees.
Swenson reported the county currently pays roughly $2.2 million to other counties (notably Minnehaha County) for housing county inmates, based on an average daily population of about 60 inmates and a per-diem arrangement. He said Harrisburg's current contract contribution is $1,029,453 and that he and county staff have negotiated a proposed increase of about $310,000 annually to account for Harrisburg's population growth; under that plan Swenson would request three additional deputies for 2026 and five patrol vehicles to maintain coverage.
Swenson proposed reassigning a deputy to serve as a Harrisburg liaison (a sergeant has already been assigned), reclassifying a deputy position into a sergeant to backfill the liaison, and replacing aging patrol vehicles. He said the jail and 24/7 programs do not require additional staffing at this time but noted one part-time courthouse security position will be vacated by retirement and is difficult to fill.
Commissioners and members of the public asked for clarification about the $2.2 million housing figure; Swenson said it primarily reflects the per-diem payments to Minnehaha County for housing inmates and an overall jail budget of roughly $3.3 million when staff and operations are included.
Swenson also described Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) work, the drug enforcement landscape and recent grant-funded digital-forensics capability that allows the sheriff's office to process electronic evidence locally. He asked the commissioners to consider contract adjustments and staffing requests tied to Harrisburg's growth as they plan future budgets.
