Harrisburg sheriff division requests UTV and golf carts; two deputy hires deferred

Captain Catherine (or Capt.) Meesmer briefed the council on the Harrisburg Division’s FY26 needs, asking for small off‑road response vehicles and explaining near‑term staffing plans under the county contract.

Meesmer described the department’s organizational structure and said the division is nearly fully staffed, with two vacancies expected to be filled in about six weeks. She said the county approved two additional sergeants and two traffic positions, and the town is preparing to fill those slots when staffing allows. Meesmer asked to postpone the two additional personnel slated to come online this fiscal year and push hiring into the next year because of recruitment and timing constraints.

On equipment, Meesmer requested a side‑by‑side utility vehicle (a UTV) to improve response in the town’s parks, greenways and areas with limited vehicle access. She described recent incidents — including a multi‑location search and pursuit that stretched officers and K‑9 units across large woodlands and tracks — and said a UTV would allow faster response in rough terrain. The vehicle discussed is a utilitarian model with a top speed around 45 mph and would be outfitted with lights and siren for road travel.

Meesmer also requested two electric golf carts to support 33 town events and park patrols; she said county‑owned carts are in poor condition. The carts would be upfitted with lights, a PA system and other equipment to make them suitable for public safety use during events.

Why it matters

The equipment requests aim to increase operational response times for foot and off‑trail incidents and to support public‑facing town events. Meesmer said the UTV and carts would be multi‑use — for event coverage, greenway patrols and support during larger incidents — and that the sheriff’s office already uses similar vehicles for mutual aid and special operations.

Council and financial context

Council members asked about cost offsets, rental or fee opportunities, and whether neighboring jurisdictions would pay to use the training grounds or equipment. Meesmer said the vehicles are intended primarily for town use but the department sometimes hosts or trains mutual‑aid partners. Town staff noted the equipment asks were balanced in part by deferred salary requests: Captain Meesmer said he postponed approximately $150,000 in salary asks to make equipment replacements fit within the manager’s budget envelope.

Staffing

Meesmer said two personnel planned in the county agreement will be delayed because of the time it takes to hire and onboard deputies, and that the delay is not expected to materially reduce service levels this year. She described the division’s operating model — the town contracts deputies from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office and pays an average cost per deputy rather than individual salaries — and reiterated that the town’s contract approach gives flexibility in filling positions without council involvement in individual hires.

What was not decided

No formal action was taken during the workshop on equipment purchases or the staffing timing. Captain Meesmer’s equipment requests will appear in the council’s capital exercise and Draft 2 materials for prioritization and funding decisions.

Ending

The sheriff‑division presentation emphasized event needs and response gaps on greenways and near rail lines; council members asked staff to include possible offsets and multi‑jurisdictional rental or reimbursement models for the equipment during the Draft 2 budgeting exercise.