Davis County sheriff urges funding for deputies, dispatchers and uniform allowance during budget hearing

Sheriff Kimberly Sparks told the Davis county Budget Committee on Oct. 24 that the sheriff’s office needs additional personnel and resources to keep up with rising calls, court obligations and staff turnover across the county.

"Our patrol division handles over 51 calls for service every day and they conduct about another 21 traffic stops every day," Sparks said, summarizing the office’s workload while asking the committee to preserve competitive pay and staffing levels.

The sheriff’s presentation laid out staffing and program requests and offered numbers the office says justify them: patrol and detectives workloads, court security obligations, jail population and supervision, and repeated attrition. Sparks said the office has lost 75 deputies in three years — 24 in 2023, 9 in 2024 and 22 so far this year — and estimated the conservative training cost to certify one new deputy at about $16,000.

Why it matters

The sheriff framed the requests as a response to both daily workload and emergent community risks: 380 9-1-1 calls a day handled by dispatch, roughly 21 bookings and releases a day at the county jail, and roughly 630 inmates housed at any given time. Sparks said staffing gaps strain working conditions and increase overtime and burnout, and that some recent departures reflect employees leaving the profession entirely rather than transferring to other agencies.

What the sheriff requested

- Reinstatement of seven deputy sheriff positions in corrections that were relinquished in the 2023 budget. - Addition of two new deputies in corrections to staff a competency restoration unit operated in cooperation with the Utah Department of Health; Sparks said the program is expected to bring approximately $1,400,000 into the county general fund. - Reinstatement of two patrol deputy positions relinquished in 2023 (the office had earlier proposed three but expects to manage work via a conversion of three part-time positions into one full-time, reducing the net ask to two). - Adjustment in the 9-1-1 dispatch budget to fill four of six current dispatcher vacancies and relinquish two previously requested dispatch positions. - A request to increase the uniform allowance (currently $1,200 per year) by roughly 20 percent to offset higher clothing and equipment costs, after more than seven years without an adjustment. - Use of savings from an unfilled part‑time criminal analyst position to offset an anticipated reduction in a broker grant.

Operational and equipment notes

Chief Taylor West, who oversees the law enforcement bureau, outlined other budget items and operational shifts: replacement of two obsolete drones, a change in SWAT contracting from the South Davis Metro SWAT to participation in the North Davis SWAT model (a per‑operator fee that includes shared equipment and training), and an ongoing large vehicle order. West said the county has encumbered funds for roughly 51–52 vehicles that had not yet been built and that vehicle build dates have shifted; vendors reportedly expected build activity to start Oct. 4 with subsequent upfitting and detailing to follow.

West also flagged a new contract for policy and procedure management and daily training bulletins (identified as a Lehi-based contractor) with an annual cost line of $27,246 included in the budget.

School security, dispatch and other programs

Sparks and West said the sheriff’s office implemented a state-mandated school guardian training program this year and has trained more than 45 guardians in six full classes. The office also assumed management of the county shooting range and reported issuing about 51 annual passes and roughly 25 daily passes each weekend.

The sheriff noted search-and-rescue volunteers conducted 49 training events and averaged about two rescues per year, and reiterated that jail operations require providing daily meals, medical and mental-health care, attorney visits and other services "like running a small city."

Contract cities and cost allocation discussion

Committee members pressed on how the county’s patrol resources are allocated between unincorporated areas and contract cities (West Point, South Weber and Fruit Heights). A commissioner noted that per-capita payments from some contract cities are far lower than the per-capita support the county’s unincorporated residents receive and urged negotiating adjustments with those cities.

West and other county staff said they have been working with contract cities for several years on a formula tied to the patrol division’s total budget and that city fees are increased annually to reflect cost growth. West said the two patrol positions sought by the sheriff are primarily to address countywide civil process workload that affects all cities, plus general patrol duties and canyon patrols that saw significantly higher activity this year.

Quotes and context

Sparks said, "My highest priority in this budget process . . . is taking care of those employees," and urged the committee to prioritize pay, benefits and working conditions to reduce attrition.

Chief Taylor West described the change in SWAT participation and equipment strategy as a more fiscally sound approach and said the department is seeking replacement drones and managing equipment needs conservatively.

No formal votes or final budget actions

The meeting included detailed presentations and back-and-forth with commissioners but recorded no formal committee votes on the sheriff’s requests. Commissioners indicated willingness to pursue contract adjustments with the cities that receive subsidized services, and county staff said they would continue negotiations and bring finalized budget proposals back to the committee.

Next steps

County staff will continue to develop the proposed budget lines, carry forward encumbrances for ordered vehicles as appropriate, pursue the competency restoration unit plan with the State Department of Health and continue discussions with West Point, South Weber and Fruit Heights about contract rates. The committee did not adopt or reject any of the sheriff’s requests at the hearing.