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Sheriff asks council to restore two deputies for crimes-against-children work; council requests more data
Summary
Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter asked the Council to reconsider removing two deputies from the 2026 budget to support sex-offender registry duties and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force; the Council requested an organizational chart and data and took no action.
Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter asked the Dubois County Council to reconsider the decision to remove two new deputies from the 2026 budget, saying the positions would assist with crimes against children and sex-offender registry monitoring. Kleinhelter said the deputies would support the Internet Crimes Against Children federal task force, serve arrest warrants and investigate crimes against children, and emphasized that “there is a staffing shortage in the department.”
President Michael W. Kluesner requested a clearer organizational chart showing how duties are assigned and how ranks are attained. Council members discussed the need for call-log data and other metrics to support the request. There was no action taken to add the deputies back into the 2026 budget, and the Sheriff was advised to return to the Commissioners to clarify the creation of the positions.
The meeting also included a review of the Sheriff’s commissary report for July–September 2025; President Kluesner requested written explanations for specific expenses. Sheriff Kleinhelter said receipts are available for review at the Security Center.
