Sheriff asks for two patrol deputies and three SROs; court hears patrol workload figures
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Summary
Sheriff Nettles asked the fiscal court for two additional patrol deputies focused on traffic enforcement and three additional school resource officers to cover responsibilities including Stamping Ground; the sheriff cited rising call volumes and detailed recent call counts.
Sheriff Nettles addressed the fiscal court May 2 to request two additional patrol deputies and three school resource officers (SROs) for the coming school year.
"I've requested 2 additional deputies, to primarily focus on traffic enforcement," Sheriff Nettles said, citing a steady flow of community complaints and the need to fill holes created by deputies on light duty. He told the court his office has responded so far this year to "over 50 mental health calls, a hundred and 12 injury accidents, and 41 domestic[s]," and said calls increasingly require more time per incident because of victim‑advocate coordination and paperwork.
Regarding SROs, the court discussed a request for three additional SROs because the county has been asked to assume responsibility for SRO duties in Stamping Ground. Court staff estimated the additional cost at approximately $15,600. The court also discussed vehicle requests: the sheriff asked for four Ford Explorers, a van and one F‑150; the budget committee included four Explorers in the draft as a more affordable option than Tahoes.
Court members emphasized patrol as the backbone of the sheriff's office and asked staff to fold the requested positions into budget deliberations. No formal funding decisions were made on May 2; staff said the costs for deputy positions could be added to the draft budget and returned for further discussion at the next meeting.