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Sheriff details jail medical costs, oxygen equipment purchase and staffing levels
Summary
Harvey County Sheriff reported April patrol and jail statistics and explained recent medical and pharmacy expenses and an equipment purchase of two oxygen concentrators; commissioners and sheriff discussed local pharmacy contracting and deputy staffing shortages on day and night shifts.
Harvey County Sheriff’s Office presented monthly enforcement and jail statistics during the May 20 Board of Commissioners meeting and answered commissioners’ questions about recent medical/pharmacy costs and a purchase of oxygen concentrators for the county jail.
The sheriff reported April operational figures including 486 traffic stops, 83 arrests, 1,599 calls for service and 45,902 miles driven. He said civil process served 539 papers and generated approximately $2,990 in revenue; federal inmate transports and related hours and miles were lower than typical because the county currently houses fewer federal inmates.
Jail medical and equipment details: the sheriff described a recent episode in which the jail’s older oxygen concentrators failed; staff had to seek court action to release an inmate when equipment was unavailable. He and another attendee later confirmed the purchase price was about $571 (per unit), not $5,000 as had been misstated earlier in the meeting. The sheriff said the county keeps at least one concentrator on hand and bought two because older units were failing; he explained an alternative — transporting inmates to a hospital — would be disruptive and costly.
Pharmacy costs and contracting: commissioners and the sheriff discussed a separate $10,000 pharmacy expense tied to a vendor the jail does not regularly use. The sheriff said the county currently uses Diamond Pharmacy for reliability despite its higher price, and he has explored local pharmacy contracting but found volume and logistics limiting. The sheriff said he has emailed a physician consultant (Dr. Roser) with questions about pharmacy alternatives and awaits a response.
Staffing: the sheriff noted shifts with reduced deputy counts in April (21 day shifts with only two deputies; nine night shifts with only two deputies) and said a recently completed deputy (Cora Manning / Corey) moving off field training will help return a third deputy to day shift staffing.
What commissioners asked and directed: they probed the frequency of un- or under-insured drivers, asked about renting oxygen concentrators from local medical suppliers, and asked the sheriff to continue exploring local pharmacy arrangements. The sheriff said he would provide more detail on oxygen concentrator acquisition and follow up on pharmacy vendor negotiations.
No formal board action was taken on these informational items.
