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County officials say insurer found undisclosed jail incidents; county faces high deductible and policy scrutiny
Summary
County insurance staff told commissioners that an insurer’s audit uncovered jail incidents that were not reported to county administration, prompting Travelers to curtail employment-liability coverage and leaving the county self-insured up to about a $200,000 deductible; staff said many sheriff’s office policies are outdated and legal action is pending.
Chris Elliott, a county insurance official, told the Rockingham County Board of Commissioners that the county’s insurer found evidence of jail-related incidents through news reports and deposition testimony rather than from county administration, and that the insurer has placed limits on coverage while it reviews the sheriff’s office policies.
"They don't wanna come within 10 feet of us right now until this administration is done," Elliott said, describing carriers’ reluctance amid the findings. He said Travelers Insurance recently "put the county on notice to deny our law enforcement liability coverage and... stopped the employment liability coverages," leaving the county as the primary bearer of risk for some claims.
The briefing, requested by County Manager Lance Metzler to correct what he called "misleading, inaccurate, and not true" public statements, laid out potential budgetary exposure. Elliott said the county is effectively self-insured up to an approximately $200,000 deductible for certain claims and that insurers have flagged deficiencies in written policies at the sheriff’s office. "The sheriff's office gave us over 87 policies. Most of them are over 10 years old," Elliott said, adding that carriers expect updated, documented policies before restoring confidence.
Jim Fink, a resident who spoke during public comment, had urged commissioners to confine their actions to their statutory role and avoid political entanglement with the sheriff’s office. Commissioners and staff framed the insurance briefing as an effort to increase transparency about how incidents and policy gaps affect county finances and liability exposure.
Elliott said some incidents that insurers uncovered included allegations investigated in separate legal proceedings; he described that information reaching insurers via media reports and deposition materials rather than through county channels. Commissioner Malcolm pressed staff on whether the issues affected budgeting; Elliott said they have and reiterated the deductible exposure.
County Attorney Clyde Albright and administration staff are handling litigation matters, Elliott said. Commissioners asked for continued updates; Metzler and Elliott told the board that the administration had documented communications with the sheriff's office and insurance carriers and that they would provide records as appropriate.
Next steps described at the meeting include completion of the insurance audit and further follow-up by county administration and the county attorney's office. Elliott urged that policy and procedural updates be documented in writing to satisfy carriers' requirements before liability coverage can be fully restored.
The board did not take formal action on policy changes during the meeting; commissioners said they would continue to seek transparency and answers from staff and legal counsel.
