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Sheriff says patrol and training increased; department on pace to meet contracted hours
Summary
At the selectboard meeting the sheriff reported growth in patrol and training: weekday court security now has three deputies, FTO capacity rose from one to four, and patrol hours for the year increased from about 41.75 to 65.5 in Grant; he said the department is on track to meet town contracts and may seek an additional full‑time officer if towns request more coverage.
At the St. Johnsbury selectboard meeting, the sheriff delivered a midyear report covering January through June, saying the department has expanded court security, road construction patrols and wide‑load escorts while increasing field‑training capacity.
The sheriff told the board the department now provides a minimum of three deputies for court security Monday through Friday and has taken on multiple construction and wide‑load escort details across the region. "A year ago, we could not come even close to being able to take on what we've been able to do," he said, adding that patrol hours in Grant rose from 41.75 (year‑earlier Jan–June) to 65.5 this year.
Why it matters: the increase in coverage affects public safety and the town's contracted policing obligations. The sheriff said the department is "on pace to fulfill all patrol hours for every town we're contracted with," an improvement after several years of shortfalls.
The sheriff outlined personnel and training changes behind the shift: he was the department's only field training officer a year ago and said he has since sent three additional deputies to become FTOs, bringing the total to four. The department is also training at least one deputy for a dual role as dispatcher to increase flexibility. He emphasized the importance of cross‑training: "All FTOs that we have... do something a little different," allowing new hires to receive detail‑specific training.
Board members noted the town contract figure (discussed at the meeting as $10,000) and confirmed the sheriff's report that the department currently meets scheduling needs even when deputies take vacation or are out sick. The sheriff also acknowledged the recent passing of Sheriff Heman, saying the department has stabilized and staff morale is positive.
The sheriff said he hopes to continue this trajectory and will discuss further staffing — including the potential to add another full‑time patrol position — with towns later in the year. He invited follow‑up conversations and said he will provide another annual‑style report in the fall.
Next steps: no formal vote or budget decision was taken at the meeting; the sheriff asked towns to signal if they want expanded services, which would be a precursor to any hiring or budget request.
