Layoffs possible for Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office
Pittsylvania County Sheriff Mike Taylor said he may have to eliminate 22 deputies under one of his four budget proposals given to the Board of Supervisors’ Finance Committee Monday.
Uncertainty over how much funding Gov. Bob McDonnell will provide to localities — whether he will restore cuts by former Gov. Timothy M. Kaine — has left county officials unsure how to shape Pittsylvania’s upcoming 2010-11 budget.
To be safe, Taylor has crafted four possible budget proposals under different fiscal scenarios. One proposal, under a possible 17-percent reduction in funding compared to 2009-10, includes cutting 22 deputies from Taylor’s force.
The county has already asked its departments to prepare for a 10 percent cut in local money, while Kaine slashed another 7 percent to the department.
Having to lay off deputies wouldn’t just compromise public safety, it would continue the 10-year ratcheting down of funding for the sheriff’s office, Taylor said.
“We’ve been doing more with less since 2000,” Taylor said after the Finance Committee’s meeting Monday. “We can’t go on like this.”
In 2009, the sheriff’s office served 3,657 warrants and indictments, initiated more than 3,000 felony investigations, and seized and logged in 2,500 pieces of evidence, Taylor said.
The sheriff’s office has approximately 80 deputies.
Taylor acknowledges the tough job the Board of Supervisors faces in drawing the county’s budget. Hank Davis, Chatham-Blairs supervisor and chairman of the Board of Supervisors, said the sheriff’s office’s situation is up in the air.
“This is putting the cart before the horse,” Davis said of how to address the budget issues the sheriff’s office faces. “We don’t know what the state’s going to contribute.”
The commonwealth provides about 52 percent of money for the sheriff’s office, while the county covers the remaining 48 percent, Taylor said.
Of the four budget proposals, the first — at a total of $9.2 million — factors in a 17-percent decrease from last year and includes the layoffs, while budget No. 2 has a 10-percent reduction and is about $9.8 million.
The third proposed budget remains level with 2009-10 at about $9.1 million and the last totals about $11.3 million.
The second budget scenario would be a bare bones force with citizens able to only access the sheriff’s office by calling 911, Taylor said. The force would have no cell phones, no e-mail, no radios.
“We’d go back to the way we operated in the 1980s,” Taylor said, adding that call responses would be slower.
Giving area residents a sense of safety costs money and is a core value, Taylor said.
“People are concerned for their safety,” he said. “People want to be safe in their homes.”
With increasing technology, criminals are getting smarter, wiser, Taylor said. However, Taylor remains hopeful.
“I’m optimistic that we’re going to weather this,” said Taylor, who’s been with the sheriff’s office since 1975.
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Reader Reactions
I hope we do not have any deputies taken away. God knows it takes them long enough to run from one end of the county to the other when someone calls for help.
County Officials,
Give up the County provided vehicles you drive back and forth to work in and all your other perks and bonuses.
School Board,
Offer only one type of lunch not multiple, we only had one choice, these youngins will have to like it or lump it or pack a lunch. Just think of how much that could save.
Take away some of the small things, but not our safety.
Htam brings up some very good points here. However, one thing to consider is whether or not those funding and staffing levels in the 1980’s were appropriate. I remember when Taylor McGregor (sp?) was sheriff, there was a lot of talk that they didn’t have enough people (deputies) to adequately serve the county. So while going back to staffing levels of 30 years ago may seem like a reasonable option, one has to consider whether or not those levels got the job done then. And if those numbers didn’t work in 1980 (thus, the reason for the increase in staffing/budget), is it so unreasonable to expect that they wouldn’t work today?
Just a thought.
The Sheriff said, “We will go back to the way we operated in the 80’s.“ Well, let us look at the 1980’s and compare them with 2010. The county has less population now than it did in 1980, more persons over 65 than it did in 1980 (16% now) and more persons living below the poverty level now (12%) than it did in 1980. We have twice as many depuities now as we did in 1980 and the budget for the Sheriff’s department is three times what it was in 1980. It would be interesting to have the Sheriff show the voters a comparison of crimes against persons (the more serious crimes….murder in general, rape, assault, assault and battery, burglary, etc) in 1980 and in 2009. Have the crimes in this county increased in thirty years to justify twice the numbers of deputies and three times the budget?? Maybe the Sheriff needs to educate the county residents, establish neighborhood watch programs, etc. As far as school resource officers are concerned, this is a fairly new concept and is it REALLY necessary. Put this responsibility back on the school administration. There are certainly enough administrative support in the schools to handle one additional responsibility. Our county leaders, school administrative personnel and constitutional officers need to think outside the box for a change….exchange ideas with other counties….use your imagination….steal a good idea when you hear it as long as the orginator gets the credit. Stop thinking about what is good for “I” or what is good for the “party”. I didn’t put you where you are and niether did the party…...but the voters did!!
how in the world did the big picture here get to teachers white house so forth the loss of any of the deputies in pittsylvania county will be a travisty and a huge disaster for….the honest man….but for the criminal well this is just a huge win for him….i would be more than willing to pay more taxes or do whatever it takes in order to keep our law enforcement jobs right where they are better yet i think we need more deputies in pittsylvania county i know from that as it stands we are already short staffed to a point in the county as i live here and am very good friends with a large majority of the deputies as well as the sherriff himself and i feel this is the beginning of a very bad thing i call on all residents of pittsylvania county to call your supervisor, congressman and whomever will stop and listen to do whatever it takes to at the least fund and assist in keeping at minimum the current staffing of deputoes as it is for our own safety and protection….
Oh the President helped but the party of no, were up to that same song, oop’s it a job bill out there now they must be some strong Rooster’s who hurting who?
Keep the teachers please,cut the custodians,-janitors.But please keep the teachers.We have enough uneducated people out here now,we need somebody to try and teach them something.
I have a brilliant solution to the “purported lay-offs of deputies”. Maybe we can call on the TEA Party to rally support for the Sheriff’s Department. Maybe they can fly a banner over the Capital Building in Washington to garner some compassion for the “misplaced deputies”. If this fails, maybe we can summon the assistance of Sarah Palin, Hannity, Rush, and old reliable, Glenny Beck. I am sure and if I may use the words of J. Hairston,
“either that or the brilliant alternative idea (nothing) that was proposed will take affect.
Just a GOP thought!!
Truedat
“The stimulus money will be kicking in any day now, and everything will be just fine. I am fairly sure it will kick in by next week at this time.“
lol, either that or the brilliant alternative idea (nothing) that was proposed will take affect.
Be glad we don’t live in California. They are talking about laying off teachers and law enforcement. Next thing you know they will want to let prisoners out before their time. Oh yeah they want do that already.
If Sheriff Taylor has to lay off 22 deputies does that mean no resource officers at the schools? Maybe we should show the other counties how to do it and come up with a volunteer force to help out in these areas. There should be a dozen or so ex-military in the county with some training and maybe a handful of retired police and sheriffs deputies. CO’s from Green Rock. It’s a lot to ask of a few but it will help so many. Other than that, Sheriff Taylor will have no choice but to cut back on services. The more serious crimes will have to take top priority and we will be left to deal with a lot on our own. No need to call in because they may not have someone to answer the phone. This is our test time. I hope we pass!
Everybody calm down. This is all much ado about nothing. The stimulus money will be kicking in any day now, and everything will be just fine. I am fairly sure it will kick in by next week at this time.
Right cervantes102??
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