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Sheriff urges hiring more rural deputies; towns warned extra coverage comes with steep local cost
Summary
Knox County sheriff told commissioners that rural coverage often leaves only two to three officers for many towns and requested eight additional rural deputies and one detective; he said some towns are exploring contracts that could cost about $200,000 for a 40-hour deputy and urged clear cost estimates before towns are asked to pay more.
At the Oct. 9 special meeting, Sheriff (Speaker 3) told the commission that rural law-enforcement coverage is strained and that on many days only two to three officers cover much of the county. "On any given day, you're only looking at about 2 to 3 law enforcement officers covering 14 of the 18 communities in this county," the sheriff said.
The sheriff requested additional staff to restore coverage: "My opinion is I need, 8 more rural patrol deputies and 1 more detective," he said, adding that the county might phase hires over time depending on fiscal capacity. He asked commissioners to consider whether to increase the county workforce or pursue contractual models with individual towns.
He described town-contract examples that illustrate local costs: a 40‑hour deputy for one town could cost about $200,000 a year, he said, and that model leaves open coverage gaps for the rest of the week. "That's 1 person 40 hours just in Union at a big cost to that town by itself," the sheriff said. Commissioners discussed whether towns understood the likely fiscal impact and whether pooled contributions across towns could yield more deputies for the county patrol.
Commissioners pressed for clear, comprehensive cost estimates — including all equipment, training and benefits — before presenting options to towns or voters. The sheriff noted some short-term sharing arrangements with towns are happening on a trial basis, and said he has returned to several select-board meetings to discuss options. No formal staffing decision was made; commissioners asked staff to prepare detailed fiscal estimates ahead of the budget hearings.
