Properly fund sheriff's office

To the Kane County Board:

The Kane County Sheriff's Department has six to seven deputies on patrol per shift. They patrol 540 square miles with a population of 550,000 people countywide, of which 89,557 are in unincorporated areas. The average response time for emergency calls is 10 to 15 minutes and an average nonemergency response time is 15 to 30 minutes.

Compare that to Elgin police who have 12 to 17 officers per shift that patrol 38.6 square miles with a population of 107,000 people and an average emergency response time of three to four minutes and an average nonemergency response time of six to eight minutes.

Now, if you think the numbers are OK for the sheriff's department you do not live in unincorporated Kane County. You live in the safety and protection of a city patrolled police department.

It is my understanding that the county board is to give each department a reasonable operating budget. One of your past resolutions was to reduce the number of sworn deputies from 95 to 90 and in 2010 and 2011 you only funded enough for 85 sworn deputies. This does not seem reasonable to me.

Obviously you're taking the easy path by giving the sheriff an unreasonable budget and telling him the live with it. Your job as a county board member is to work with the sheriff — not against him. Stop playing your foolish political games. If the Sheriff says he needs more deputies on patrol, it is your job to find the money so we can be properly protected.

I understand we are in a recession, but you always seem to find money for departments like transportation. Why not a more vital department like the sheriff? It might take a little extra work, but that is what we pay you to do. So do the job you were elected for and please make Kane County safe for everyone.

David Martin

Unincorporated South Elgin