Sheriff presents state grant awards to fund bilingual school resource officer, patrol deputy and court security

Sheriff Heath Speckman told the Lake County Board of County Commissioners during a work session that his office has won state grant awards to fund a bilingual school resource officer (SRO) and an additional patrol deputy — both positions the sheriff said are part of a multi-year staffing plan.

Speckman said the grants begin April 1 and are one-year, up-front awards intended to help agencies address law-enforcement staffing shortages. "They both start April 1 and we have exposure to use these funds," he said. He told commissioners the grants provide a starter package that covers hiring, equipment and training.

Speckman described the sheriff's long-range staffing goal and the office's trajectory since he was appointed, saying the department once operated with only three deputies. "When I was first appointed... we had 3 deputies. And to match each 1 of those deputies, also walked into, 3 lawsuits," he said, recounting the office's…