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Michael D. Pitman reports about Butler County, Ohio, politics, county government, countywide issues and Butler County people just like you for Cox Ohio Publishing (including the Hamilton JournalNews, Middletown Journal and several weekly papers in Butler County). He wants your suggestions and questions for more news stories. Leave a comment for him here or e-mail Michael at Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2010 > June > 21
Monday, June 21, 2010
23 laid off, 20 demoted from sheriff’s office
Mounting layoffs at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office will mean less space for suspected criminals in the county jail and fewer deputies to respond to the rural townships that rely on them for police protection.
Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones said Monday, June 21, that 19 deputies and four corrections officers are being laid off — and 20 people are being demoted — as his office complies with nearly $1.8 million in cuts handed down by commissioners.
“It’s very concerning because that is our police protection for our township so it’s always a concern when there’s going to be less deputies available,” said Wayne Twp. Trustee Bob Hoelle. “We’re just going to have to kind of look out and watch out for one another.”
Like Hoelle, St. Clair Twp. Trustee Gary Couch said the township gets great service from the sheriff’s office and he understands the need for the cuts. He said this makes it more important for residents to look out for one another.
“We are going to have to try to find a way for everybody to be very vigilant and be aware of their surroundings, and not make nonsense calls,” Couch said.
Jones said the cuts will also affect police departments that use his jail. Jones is asking police to be more thoughtful about who they book, and consider alternatives to incarceration so he doesn’t have to let prisoners go.
“I’m trying to reduce the population of our jail,” he said. “It takes people to watch people.”
Jones said attrition and layoffs have eliminated 92 jobs at his office since June 2009. But unlike previous cuts he balked at, Jones was understanding of commissioners’ decision as they tried to patch a $4 million deficit for this year.
“I don’t like it and I’m angry about it, but there’s only so much money,” Jones said.
Common Pleas Court officials said Monday they’ll also comply with $296,600 in cuts to their office requested by commissioners.
“We intend to comply with the spirit and the intent of the commissioners, but we fell like any reduction in our budget will be a voluntary reduction by the judges,” said Judge Michael Sage, the court’s chief administrative judge.
To do this, Sage is asking commissioners to change how public defenders are appointed to a system that assigns defense attorneys to courtrooms at a fixed cost.
Sage said the court also hasn’t filled a dozen open positions. This puts the courts close to 2002 funding levels, when they only had 7,370 cases, compared to 11,400 last year.
“I think what will eventually happen is the backlog of cases probably will increase a little bit,” Sage said. “I think that so far we’ve done a very good job of keeping our caseloads up to speed.”
Permalink | Comments (10) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County Sheriff's Department
TweetOn immigration - Consulate, Catholic church protested
In case you missed it, we had a pair of stories over the weekend about some immigration protests in Hamilton:
In this story, we examine a Mobile Mexican Consulate’s Office set up in Hamilton Saturday, and those protesting it:
Kathalena Gay came to St. Julie Billiart Catholic Parish Saturday, June 19, to get a Mexican consular identification card for her fiance and father of her five children — who has been in the country illegally for 13 years.
“We hope to get an ID so we can get married and get him legalized,” she said.
Kade Lecy came because her identity was stolen 10 years ago when a company she applied to used her Social Security number to hire illegal immigrants.
“An American citizen would get $8 to $9 an hour when he can hire three (illegal immigrants) at that price,” Lecy said. “I’m afraid everywhere I apply, it (identity theft) is going to happen again.”
St. Julie’s hosted a Mobile Mexican Consulate’s Office Saturday, where Gay’s fiance and roughly 400 other Mexican nationals came to get Mexican consular ID cards and other services.
Lecy was one of a couple dozen protesters calling for immigration reform, and decrying the consular IDs and the Catholic church’s role in helping provide them.
In this story, we look at the Catholic church’s role in the controversy (the consulate was set up at St. Julie Billiarts Parish):
Nowhere was it more apparent than at St. Julie Billiart Parish Saturday, June 19, how much the Catholic church has placed itself in the center of the immigration debate.
Inside the church’s bingo hall, hundreds of Mexicans lined up for passports or Mexican IDs at the Mobile Mexican Consulate’s Office.
In front of the cathedral on Dayton Street, dozens of activists marched along the street with picket signs, some reading “Immigrants welcome. Illegals go home.”
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Immigration
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