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Sheriff touts SAFER program, CREATE partnership and flags jail‑revenue risks for 2026
Summary
The sheriff described a new SAFER information program for first responders, the county’s participation in the CREATE multi‑jurisdiction investigative team, a change in the jail medical provider and significant revenue uncertainty from U.S. Marshals placements and inmate phone contracts.
The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Office briefed supervisors on several public safety initiatives and budgetary pressures the department expects to carry into the 2026 budget cycle.
Why it matters: sheriff’s office operational costs, inmate medical expenses, and revenue from federal inmates and phone contracts are central to sheriff budget planning and could affect levy requests.
Key items from the presentation
- SAFER program: the sheriff described the SAFER (Specialized Alerts for Enhanced Response) program, a partnership to input household‑level information (photographs, medical and behavioral‑health notes) into a joint services dispatch system so responding officers countywide have critical information. The office planned a hard launch focused on school resource officers in May for Mental Health Awareness Month.
- CREATE: the sheriff said the Kenosha‑Racine Area Investigative Team (CREATE) has launched and is available for major investigations previously handled via the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI).
- Jail medical provider: the sheriff reported a transition of the jail medical provider from NAF Care to a new provider (referred to during the meeting as “bridal court”). The sheriff said the change brings a “robust plan” and the hope of sending fewer inmates to outside hospitals.
- Revenue uncertainty: the sheriff flagged two revenue risks. First, the county’s budgeted revenue from U.S. Marshals placements has declined: the county budgeted for about 60 U.S. Marshal inmates but is averaging about 26, creating a significant shortfall. Second, the sheriff said inmate phone revenue is uncertain pending FCC activity; the county budgeted $500,000 for that contract but federal changes could reduce collections.
- Staffing and equipment needs: the sheriff said patrol is fully staffed, detentions remain a challenge, and the department plans capital purchases including procurement of squad vehicles and replacement/upfitting. The sheriff also identified upcoming body‑worn camera contract renewal and ongoing equipment and training needs.
What supervisors asked
Supervisors pressed about offsets for the projected U.S. Marshals shortfall and potential cost‑cuts; the sheriff said the department is examining overtime, training and other budgets but noted limited ability to cut enough to cover a million‑dollar shortfall without affecting operations.
Ending
The sheriff asked for continued collaboration with finance staff and supervisors as the department works to align operations with realistic revenue projections for 2026.
