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Sheriff requests two deputies for child-protection duties; council asks for staffing data and reviews commissary expenses
Summary
Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter asked the council to reconsider removing two deputies from the 2026 budget—one to assist with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force and sex-offender registry—and said staffing shortages hinder monitoring. The council requested an organizational chart and call-log data and took no action. The sheriff’s commissary report for July–September 2025 was also reviewed.
Sheriff Tom Kleinhelter asked the Dubois County Council on Oct. 27 to reconsider removing two deputy positions from the 2026 budget, saying one deputy would support the Internet Crimes Against Children federal task force and manage sex-offender registry duties while the other could assist the registry or perform road duties.
Kleinhelter said the department faces a staffing shortage and that sex-offender violations are not being adequately monitored. President Michael W. Kluesner asked the sheriff to provide a clearer organizational chart showing duties and rank attainment and requested call-log and other supporting data to justify the positions. The council took no action on restoring the deputies and advised the sheriff to return to the Commissioners to clarify the positions.
Separately, the sheriff’s commissary report for July through September 2025 was presented. President Kluesner requested written explanations for several expenditures (a $402.40 car-wash entry, a $901.96 airline charge for a two-day Border School, code-label questions on a John Deere Financial charge, and conference/training expenses). Sheriff Kleinhelter said receipts are available for review at the Security Center and answered attendance questions about internal affairs and training.
