Heather Plager, chief juvenile probation officer, presented the department’s quarterly report to the commission and said year‑to‑date referrals are down compared with last year but detention bookings are trending slightly up. "Year to date, we have 239 referrals that have come in," Plager said. She noted the majority of referrals are misdemeanors and status offenses and that the department holds juvenile offenders for other judicial districts at times.

Staffing and caseload: Plager reported two probation officer vacancies. With those positions unfilled, she said average caseloads per active probation officer rise from an average of about 40 to roughly 68 juveniles per officer when vacancies are excluded from the staffing denominator. She said restitution collected this quarter was $5,382.71 and that the community‑service program performed 1,903 hours of service.

Why it matters: Elevated caseloads affect service levels, supervision capacity and the department’s ability to manage informal and formal probation cases. Plager asked the commission to note staffing pressures as referrals fluctuate seasonally.

Ending: Plager said the department will continue to monitor trends; commissioners acknowledged staffing constraints and the department’s operational priorities.