MONROE - Sheriff Jeff Skatrud credits his staff's thrifty use of overtime pay with helping keep the department in the green in 2011.
The Sheriff's Department will be returning more than $124,000 to Green County's general fund, Skatrud announced at a Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
"So that should help with the Great Dane bill," he said, referencing the almost $48,000 bill the county is eating for the care of dozens of dogs, mostly Great Danes, seized in May from a home near Brodhead and housed for months with the Green County Humane Society.
He also announced another bit of good financial news: Colony Brands, Inc. recently donated $6,000 to the department for the purchase of four defibrillators for use on patrol. Deputies had been using defibrillators with outdated software, he said, so the donation is being spent to update to more current equipment.
Lt. Rodney Hicks asked Colony Brands for the donation, Skatrud said, and the local mail-order and retail company "didn't blink an eye."
"We're not much for tin cups," Skatrud said, so the donation "was a very nice surprise."
Other business reviewed at the meeting:
- The county jail had an average population in January of 48 inmates. Five took part in an electronic monitoring program and two left daily on work-release privileges.
- Deputies reported 809 incidents in January. The most common citation was speeding, with 110 incidents reported. Also common in the sheriff's incident log were vehicles stuck in ditches (54) and welfare checks (32).
- The department is preparing to retire its current K-9 Unit at the end of April and is looking for a replacement dog. Skatrud is scouting kennels for a prospective German Shepherd that is "dual-purpose" - equally comfortable doing serious police work and representing the department in a classroom of curious elementary students. Skatrud expects to pay $10,000 to $15,000 for the dog and training.
The Sheriff's Department will be returning more than $124,000 to Green County's general fund, Skatrud announced at a Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
"So that should help with the Great Dane bill," he said, referencing the almost $48,000 bill the county is eating for the care of dozens of dogs, mostly Great Danes, seized in May from a home near Brodhead and housed for months with the Green County Humane Society.
He also announced another bit of good financial news: Colony Brands, Inc. recently donated $6,000 to the department for the purchase of four defibrillators for use on patrol. Deputies had been using defibrillators with outdated software, he said, so the donation is being spent to update to more current equipment.
Lt. Rodney Hicks asked Colony Brands for the donation, Skatrud said, and the local mail-order and retail company "didn't blink an eye."
"We're not much for tin cups," Skatrud said, so the donation "was a very nice surprise."
Other business reviewed at the meeting:
- The county jail had an average population in January of 48 inmates. Five took part in an electronic monitoring program and two left daily on work-release privileges.
- Deputies reported 809 incidents in January. The most common citation was speeding, with 110 incidents reported. Also common in the sheriff's incident log were vehicles stuck in ditches (54) and welfare checks (32).
- The department is preparing to retire its current K-9 Unit at the end of April and is looking for a replacement dog. Skatrud is scouting kennels for a prospective German Shepherd that is "dual-purpose" - equally comfortable doing serious police work and representing the department in a classroom of curious elementary students. Skatrud expects to pay $10,000 to $15,000 for the dog and training.