Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff's office seeks grant funding for vests, adds peer-support dispatch specialist and restructures BTAM staffing
Summary
The sheriff's office applied for a federal bulletproof vest grant, described OCHN-funded peer-support and a dispatch specialist position tied to recent mass-incident responses, and outlined a personnel restructuring to sustain the countywide behavioral threat assessment team amid hiring challenges.
Dan Pierce, the sheriff's fiscal officer, told commissioners the department applied for the usual federal Bulletproof Vest Partnership program (a 5-year replacement cycle) and expected an award smaller than the $178,000 requested. Pierce also described new OCHN funding to create a dispatch specialist to support an ongoing peer-support program tied to the Rochester Hills splash pad shooting response and to develop a digital mental-wellness program for deputies.
On behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM), staff explained a personnel restructure: a full-time sheriff hire will perform work across the county team while also contributing time to OCHN responsibilities, a change intended to address narrow applicant pools and improve continuity. Deputies and county staff said BTAM referrals have multiplied in recent years and that the team fields reports submitted via phone, form or email from schools, prosecutors or community members.
The board approved related interlocal agreements, recorded the grant application and asked staff to return with acceptance and award details when available.
