New equipment,
uniforms on the
way for deputies

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

MARSHALL COUNTY – Deputies of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department will have something more to look forward to in the coming weeks. The department has been awarded a $400,000 Congressional grant for the purchase of better technology and equipment.

Sheriff Kevin Byars said the department currently has half of the allotted money ready to spend.

“We’ve got three years to spend it,” Byars said. “So, once the first half dwindles down — say if we’ve got $15,000 left and we need something that costs just a little bit more, then we’ll apply to get the second half in hand.”

Byars said funds will be utilized to update technology in squad cars, as well as outfit new fleet vehicles with sirens, lights and computers. Narcotics detectives will receive new surveillance equipment, and general investigation detectives will have better technology for investigating crime scenes.

“Some of that stuff you see on shows like CSI actually exists,” Byars said. “We’re hoping to get some electronics to help map out the inside of a crime scene.”

Byars said new uniforms are also in order, as well as weather resistant gear such as boots and rain slickers.

The biggest benefit of the grant, Byars said, is the ability to add deputies to the department now that new equipment will be available to them.

Byars said among all emergency personnel in the county, agencies field some 30,000 calls in a year. The Sheriff’s Department responded to approximately 18,000 of those calls.

It’s not always easy with a limited staff, Byars said. Including courtroom security, detectives, school resource officer and patrol deputies, the department currently has 25 deputies. Only 11 of those are on patrol.

“That works out to about one per 3,200, residents,” Byars said in a previous interview. “The federal standard is one per 1,500.”

Byars said he hopes to bring the new deputies in by mid summer to early 2011.