Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Resident tells commissioners long response times left ranch family waiting; board urges follow-up
Summary
Valerie Elson told the Banner County Board that a late-night incident at a ranch required a State Patrol response after 911 said a county deputy was not available; she urged the board to review local coverage and response protocols. Commissioners said the sheriff's office is separate from the board and recommended the speaker file concerns with the sheriff.
Valerie Elson, a Banner County resident, told the Board of Commissioners during public comment that a vehicle drove off a 310-foot cliff and that it took hours for responders to locate the driver.
"If we pay a sheriff and if we pay a deputy, why don't we have coverage?" Elson said, describing a call to 911 that directed her husband to contact the State Patrol and a delay of at least 20 minutes before an officer arrived. She said the pickup was found off Highway 71 and that local volunteers and the fire chief assisted in the search before county deputies arrived.
The board responded that investigations of sheriff response fall under the sheriff's office and not the commissioners. Chair (unidentified) said the board does not supervise the sheriff's day-to-day operations and suggested Elson contact the sheriff's office for a formal complaint. County officials also noted that 911 call records could clarify dispatching and routing decisions.
The comment raised concerns among multiple commissioners about staffing and coverage in rural areas. Several members asked staff to verify whether any operational gaps exist that the board could address through budget, mutual aid agreements, or interlocal cooperation with neighboring counties.
No formal motion or vote resulted from the public comment; the board noted the matter for follow-up, and staff said they would provide guidance on the proper channels to lodge a complaint and what the board could and could not direct administratively.
