Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sheriff Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sheriff covers personnel costs, mental‑health programs and an Axon tech contract in budget pitch
Summary
Sheriff Coverley told the commission the sheriff's tentative budget is roughly $28 million, with 85% for personnel, and outlined mental‑health initiatives for deputies, a Mobile Outreach Safety Team clinician, narcotics enforcement and an Axon Fusys technology contract; several items rely on grants or community fundraising.
Sheriff Coverley presented the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office tentative request on March 23 and asked the board to note that roughly 85% of his department’s $28 million budget is personnel costs, leaving limited room for recurring technology expenditures without offsetting savings.
Coverley emphasized programs aimed at officer wellness and community mental health, saying the office now requires deputies to meet with a mental‑health professional on their hire anniversary and has secured grant funding to cover clinical support. “They don't have to really say anything once they get there, but you gotta go and you gotta talk,” the sheriff said of the required session, adding that early feedback has been positive.
The sheriff described his Mobile Outreach Safety Team (MOST) — a deputy paired with a mental‑health clinician for community follow‑up to reduce recidivism — and said opioid‑related grant funds helped restore a clinician position that had been lost. He also outlined narcotics enforcement strategies that include task‑force partnerships with the DEA, FBI and state narcotics units.
On technology, the sheriff described a contract for Axon Fusys (a real‑time operations platform) to leverage body‑worn cameras, license‑plate readers and other cameras for faster incident response and interagency sharing. He cautioned that these contracts are not one‑time purchases: “So it's not a 1 time payment. You pay upfront and then you pay monthly,” he said, warning the board to weigh recurring subscription and maintenance fees against long‑term sustainment.
Coverley said the department offsets some costs through private donations — including funds that support the canine unit — and has used internal savings to support new programs such as the MOST clinician. He also reported a $400,000 Department of Justice grant, secured with assistance from the county’s grant writer, for a mobile command vehicle under separate grant administration procedures.
Next steps: The sheriff answered commissioners’ questions about technology sustainment, grant reliance and community fundraising. No formal motions were taken on his requests during the March 23 session; departmental details and any supplemental requests will return to the board for later consideration.
