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Sheriff and detention warden ask for overtime funding, deputies and $1.8M in jail upgrades
Summary
The sheriff’s office reported a roughly 27% deputy turnover and asked for overtime and five deputies; the detention warden requested about $1.8 million in kitchen, security and infrastructure upgrades including a $330,000 roof estimate. County leaders said public-safety requests will be prioritized during budget reconciliation.
Sandoval County’s sheriff’s office and detention leadership told commissioners that turnover, training and rising workload are creating sustained overtime pressure and that immediate investments are necessary to maintain safe operations.
The sheriff’s representative described an approximate 27% turnover rate for deputies over the past year and said staffing shortfalls — compounded by training and cadet programs — have driven overtime costs. The office is asking for increased overtime funding and five additional deputies to ensure minimum shift coverage; the sheriff’s office said it has experimented with a cadet pipeline and one-year cadet contracts that require reimbursement if trainees leave early.
The county detention warden delivered a list of capital and equipment requests totaling roughly $1.8 million in the near term. Key items included a full kitchen-equipment replacement (the kitchen’s last upgrade was eight years ago), upgrades to contraband-detection equipment (body scanner and x-ray), a replacement transport vehicle, cell lighting and a fire-sprinkler replacement for the older east wing. The warden provided a $330,000 estimate for roof replacement on the older side of the jail and said the access-control vendor is phasing out support, forcing an upgrade to ensure the door/computer systems remain secure.
Commission staff said the budget will not fund every request this year and that managers will prioritize public-safety items. Commissioners asked whether some detention upgrades could be submitted for the ICIP (capital funding) cycle; the warden confirmed the roof was on ICIP but the kitchen renovation was not. The county manager and deputy county manager said they will target public-safety-related items in their recommendations to the commission.
