Kane Co. sheriff's union concerned about impact of staff cuts

A rare public outcry of concern by Kane County Sheriff's deputies about their ability to protect the safety of residents is clashing with the suggestion that the sheriff's department needs a total overhaul as budget tensions increase.

The union representing sheriff's deputies issued a statement Friday calling on the county board to find budget cuts elsewhere that don't decrease the number of deputies patrolling local streets. The statement is in response to a resolution awaiting approval from the full county board that would cut the number of sworn officers to 87. There are currently 90 sworn officers in the sheriff's department. The union believes there should be 112 sworn officers.

"The citizens of Kane County, especially those in unincorporated areas who rely upon the sheriff's office for their primary police service, are paying more and getting less service in return," the statement reads. "Sadly, the county board may also be placing citizens' lives at risk by reducing the number of available deputies to respond to emergency calls for help."

Union President Dennis Carroll explained that several deputies have been out of action lately after suffering injuries, exacerbating the staffing problem.

"If you cut to 87, if you cut us to bare bones, that takes in no consideration for injuries or military leave," Carroll said. "That 87 doesn't leave any contingency."

Deputies don't believe they should be blamed for the county's financial woes.

"We must examine the fiscal actions of this county board and their failure to act in a timely and responsible manner to a crisis that they admittedly had early warning signs of," the statement reads.

Sheriff Pat Perez did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday. However, Perez has said he believes a federal grant he's applied for would solve the staffing problem for now. The grant would provide money to pay the salaries of as many as eight sworn officers. If the grant comes through, it would allow Perez to fund three existing officers, keeping the current staffing of 90 in place, and hire up to five new officers if the full grant request comes through. Any positions paid for by the grant would not count against the potential new cap of 87 sworn officers. However, the grant money would dry up in a few years, leaving the sheriff with a permanently smaller staff unless finances improves.

County Board Chairman Karen McConnaughay said a staff reduction is just the start of needed change in the department.

"That is always the first response from them," McConnaughay said. "You cut anything at all in public safety and yours and my personal safety is at risk."

McConnaughay said only 43 of the 90 sworn officers patrol the streets. Another 10 of the 90 are supervisors. Perez said earlier this week that the department is top-heavy, but change will best come when people at the top retire rather than are forced out. McConnaughay said there isn't time to wait.

"For every four guys they have on the street, they have a supervisor," McConnaughay said. "What are the other 40-plus officers doing? There's probably a few positions in there that you can do without. Maybe somebody who sits behind a desk can go out on patrol. These are the times when you have to ask yourself if you can really afford to perform some of the community services that you provide. Maybe you can't. And I think the taxpayers understand that."