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Sheriff and coroner report increases in calls and caseloads as summer begins
Summary
Sheriff’s office reported an increase in call volume in May and coroner staff reported year-to-date caseloads up from last year; both department heads briefed the committee on operational metrics and staffing needs.
The Richland County sheriff and coroner briefed the Public Safety Standing Committee on monthly activity on June 6, reporting a seasonal increase in call volume and a year-to-date increase in coroner cases.
Sheriff’s report: the sheriff told the committee that dispatch received 711 calls for service in May, with 146 EMS calls, 138 police calls and 23 fire calls. Traffic citations issued were 66 and there was an average jail population of about 30.5. “For the month of May, we got 58,879.85 on vouchers. 52 inmates booked for the month. Average population jail population was 30.51…we had 711 calls for service,” the sheriff said, and added that the department sees higher volumes in warmer months because “the weather gets nice, everybody gets out and about.”
Coroner’s report: the coroner reported 11 cases in April (ages about 40 to 98) and 10 cases in May (ages from 10 to 98). Year-to-date, the office has handled 62 cases compared with 51 at the same time last year. The coroner listed causes and case statuses: several cancer-, heart- and stroke-related deaths, hospice cases and two autopsies in May (one a UTV accident, one involving possible drug use). The coroner also said staff are preparing a job description for a deputy coroner to assist in the office.
Why it matters: the sheriff’s and coroner’s statistics inform resource and staffing planning for emergency response and medicolegal services; the coroner indicated staffing needs that could affect workload distribution.
Next steps: coroner staff will prepare and post a deputy-coroner job description; the sheriff’s office and county staff will continue to monitor call volumes and staffing needs as the summer season progresses.
