Lake County sheriff outlines staffing gains, outreach programs and radio coverage plans

Sheriff Luke Bingham told the Lake County Board of Supervisors during a department update that the sheriff’s office added 13 employees in 2024, is near full staffing in corrections, and is pursuing a return to beat-oriented patrols and school resource officers as hiring permits.

Bingham said the office’s 2024 hires included four deputies, three corrections staff, one dispatcher, three correctional aides/evidence technicians and one 900-hour seasonal hire for boat operations. “I don't want people to think that crime has risen in Lake County by our stats. It hasn't. It's staying the same,” he said, adding that more deputies on patrol have increased in-person responses and proactive enforcement, which raises incident-report counts.

Bingham said the department’s staffing improvements have allowed more deputies to respond to calls rather than rely on online reporting, and that corrections is “one away from fully staffed.” He said two deputies are currently in…