Economic growth is putting strain on Sullivan Sheriff’s staffing

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Schiff (file): “… where do we
need to be on this.”

MONTICELLO – The casino, health spa, soon-to-open waterpark and other tourist-related facilities in Sullivan County are putting a strain on the current staffing level of the county sheriff’s office and Sheriff Michael Schiff would like to beef it up to meet the growing law enforcement demand.
He is asking the county legislature to consider allowing him to hire five additional deputies and between two and four civilian dispatchers to meet the need.
“What I asked for is a committee to sit down, to go over all of this, and determine exactly where we needed to be on the whole issue,” Schiff said. “I just didn’t want walk in with a resolution – ‘Here’s a resolution. Can you please vote on this and sign it’. I wanted to have a discussion with three or four [legislators,] have more of a work session and come up with where do we need to be on this.”
County Jail Administrator Hal Smith suggested consolidating the sheriff’s dispatch with the county 911 center, both under the sheriff’s office, and that would not necessitate the additional five deputies, but rather only two to three additional dispatchers.
Either way, placing civilian dispatchers on the desk would allow for deputies who man the phones now to go out on road patrols. The desk jobs would be filled with less expensive civilians. 




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