Sheriff: jail population rising, marine patrol ended after 30% funding cut

Sheriff reported a rise in calls and jail population and told the Spokane Board of Commissioners on July 15 that he has ended the county's marine patrol agreement after the Marine Board reduced funding by about 30%.

The sheriff told commissioners the office handled about 1,448 calls over the last two months, including 438 traffic stops, roughly 103 physical arrests and 37 crashes. "Over the last 3 months on patrol, we've been a little short staffed and, you know, we are full staff now," the sheriff said, adding that deputies and jail staff have been under heavy workload while new personnel complete training.

The sheriff said the jail population has risen in recent weeks. "Two months ago, we were averaging 110 to 115 inmates... In the last 2 months or so, we've seen a pretty good uptick. We're averaging 145 or so in the jail," the sheriff said, noting higher counts make inmate housing and separation more difficult. He said the district attorney's intake numbers are also up.

The sheriff described ending the marine patrol agreement after a roughly 30% reduction in the Marine Board's funding. "They originally gave us a budget... and then, I don't know, two weeks before the end of the budget year, they came and said that they're reducing 30% across the board," the sheriff said. The sheriff said the county will still be responsible for search-and-rescue tasks on the water and is working to replace boats and equipment that were provided by the Marine Board.

Commissioners asked whether other counties experienced similar program reductions. The sheriff said he believed several programs shuttered after funding cuts and suggested elevating the issue through the Association of Counties.

The sheriff also described other operational items: participation in National Night Out on Aug. 5, near completion of a dog kennel facility (pending final deck and stairs), and renewed talks with the local Humane Society to establish a process for transferring animals the county cannot rehome. "The idea is that our shelter is not going to be a staffed full service dog shelter. It's mainly going to be a storage area for us to be able to get the dogs back to where they belong," the sheriff said.

He described a traffic-enforcement grant from the Oregon Department of Transportation that paid for officers dedicated to highway enforcement; he said community members reported lower travel speeds on Highway 22 after increased enforcement. He also said prescription costs at the jail are high and that county staff are exploring potential avenues to cover some prescription costs; he cited a recent month with about $16,000 in prescription costs.

The sheriff repeatedly described daily management of jail population and staffing as a continuing operational focus. "Every day I'm talking to the general commander or the sergeant over there about, 'Hey, how are we doing?'" he said. He cautioned that whether 145 inmates is manageable depends on the mix of inmates and current medical or mental-health incidents.

Commissioners and the sheriff noted limits on county authority for some issues, and one commissioner urged broader public notice that the county will not provide active marine enforcement after the change. The sheriff said fire agencies and other partners will still respond to certain incidents but that active enforcement on waterways is no longer part of the county's service after the Marine Board funding cut.

The meeting record shows no formal board vote on the sheriff's operational decisions; the sheriff described actions taken by his office and planned staff work and interagency coordination.

The sheriff concluded by asking the board to stay engaged on jail and public-safety funding issues; commissioners asked to be updated if the county obtains new funding streams for medical or prescription costs at the jail.