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Orange County Sheriff requests multiple capital projects; corrections report shows rising population and staffing vacancies
Summary
The sheriff asked the Legislature to create or reallocate funds for preliminary engineering on a range building, a new canine facility, perimeter-door replacements, and dock/sally-port repairs; the corrections division reported an average daily population of 456 and 21 vacancies.
Orange County legislators approved requests to reallocate and appropriate preliminary engineering and maintenance funding for several sheriff’s capital projects and heard corrections and patrol reports showing a rising jail population and staffing vacancies.
The committee approved preliminary engineering and design funding of $100,000 (bonding) for a proposed range building (project 122, legislative request 152). The sheriff's office said the new building would include a tower for range observation and an indoor training area to reduce weather impacts on training.
The committee also approved $250,000 for architecture/engineering for a proposed new canine facility (project 123, legislative request 153). First Sergeant Jeremy Lehi, K9 division supervisor, described the current facility as a 30‑year‑old pole barn at the southern end of the Orange County Airport grounds with cracked floors and kennels unsuitable for overnight housing: "We can't leave our canines in any of the kennels overnight because, the critters will come in. The rats will come in. They'll deposit what they deposit. And if a dog gets into any of that, it could endeavor for any of those animals." Lehi said the sheriff’s office pays rent for the current site and wants to relocate the K9 unit to the sheriff's campus in Goshen.
Separately, the committee approved a $500,000 reallocation for exterior perimeter security doors and frames in housing units and yards (project 115, legislative request 151), citing weathered doors that are compromising security; officials said the building is about 25 years old and requires continuing maintenance. The committee also approved $575,000 for dock, vehicle sally-port and individual cell maintenance and replacement (legislative request 166), citing disintegrated concrete at the loading dock and sally-port and obsolete parts for cell fixtures.
During the corrections report, county staff reported an average daily population of 456 for April, 21 staff vacancies, and boarding revenue to date of $2,019,300. In the sheriff’s service report, Lieutenant Lance Sonner described ongoing operations including a newly accredited civil division, an upcoming fly‑car medical response pilot, a fully booked five‑day Junior Law Enforcement Academy, commercial vehicle enforcement seizures (including a 130,000‑pound overweight trailer), and planned boat patrol activity for the season.
All capital requests were described as type II SEQRA actions (preliminary feasibility/engineering) and were approved by the committee on voice votes.
