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Court debates sheriff’s ROV and drone funding while judge rules out county crowdfunding

Benton County Quorum Court · October 16, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Justices and the sheriff’s office argued over a requested Deep Trekker ROV and other safety equipment; deputies said the ROV speeds recoveries and reduces overtime and safety risk, while the county judge said the county will not pursue crowdfunding for the purchase.

A proposal to buy a Deep Trekker remotely operated vehicle and related equipment prompted a sharp discussion about operational needs, grants and who should pay.

Justice Smith suggested community fundraising as a way to buy the roughly $190,000 ROV, saying it could be a compelling local story and might speed acquisition. "What if the community went nuts for it and we raised that money in 3 weeks?" Smith asked.

Sheriff's‑office supporters and an agency representative replied that the…

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