Sheriff’s office seeks two deputies for offender registry and ICAC work; council asks for data-driven staffing study

Representatives of the sheriff’s office told the Dubois County Council they need two dedicated deputies: one to help investigate Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task‑force cases and the other to manage sex‑offender registry compliance and related investigations. The sheriff’s office described the registry work as time-consuming, with varying reporting intervals for offenders and a requirement to perform periodic residence verifications.

"If we had someone that was actually dedicated to that position, then we could do the community, the service, and justice that we really need," a sheriff’s representative said, adding that investigations can involve serving warrants and preparing criminal cases.

Councilors responded that they wanted empiric data before committing to new hires: suggested materials included population-to-officer ratios, call‑type log analysis, overtime/coverage implications, and the total cost of equipping and onboarding new deputies (vehicles, equipment and initial training). Several members suggested a workforce analysis or a third-party study to quantify needs; the meeting separately approved advertising a wage/staffing study later in the agenda.

Council did not reverse prior commissioner actions noted in email records during the meeting but asked staff to verify whether the two positions had been created contingent on grant funding. The council asked the sheriff’s office to return with detailed job descriptions, costing and operational impacts so the fiscal body could make an informed decision during budget adjustments.

What happens next: the council asked for more data and recommended a formal workforce analysis tied to the county wage study; hiring decisions will depend on study findings and budget availability.