Sheriff's budget pitch includes training pay, phone-forensics upgrade and jail control-room request

Lieutenant Foreman Dexter presented the sheriff's budget to the Harrison County Commissioners Court on items ranging from training pay to technology and jail equipment. "We are, we're gonna ask for FTO training pay," he told the court, describing two-week minimum assignments for field training officers and a budgeted amount he identified as about $10,000.

The sheriff's office also requested funding to add a full-time health inspector if the city ceases performing county inspections under the current interlocal arrangement. Dexter said the county wanted to be ready if the city ends or modifies the contract: "It it has not changed yet, but if this was accepted, then we would do our own health inspections." The chair summarized the likely net cost if the county hired its own inspector at about $50,000 in salary plus benefits (roughly $65,000), noting a potential $25,000 net increase compared with current arrangements where permit fees flow to the city.

On investigative technology, Dexter told commissioners one of the sheriff's phone-forensics programs is obsolete and requested a magnetic forensics package that would cost $14,323 in the first year (training for two investigators) and approximately $7,800 per year thereafter. "As you know, we we dump phones for criminal investigative purposes, and we had 2 programs," he said, arguing the upgrade would add mapping and other investigative capabilities for the criminal investigations division.

Dexter outlined a set of equipment and vehicle items: an enterprise vehicle replacement budget listed at $860,418.73, replacement of roughly a dozen vehicles (including seven Tahoes already approved), roughly $16,000 for about 15 ballistic vests, and an adjusted GPS/monitoring line of $15,440 after adding MiFis for investigators. He said sales proceeds from retired vehicles would be budgeted separately and that the net revenue estimate was not yet known.

For jail infrastructure, Dexter reported a requested line for equipment and maintenance of $577,440.36 to address the main control room and related needs; he said grant funds might offset part of that cost and that the court would hear more details at the next court meeting. He also asked for four replacement tasers (about $1,400 each) and higher training funding for detention staff, and noted food costs for both jails increased roughly 6.01 percent.

The court asked clarifying questions about totals and whether some requested increases stacked on top of existing salary lines. Dexter confirmed some amounts represented additional requests. The court recessed for lunch with follow-up expected when the court reconvened.