There is plenty of available jail space, the problem is there is no one to watch them when they're here.
"State of Ohio requires so many corrections officers per shift. To fill our jail completely we need four officers." said Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger.
Hiring them won't be easy. There isn't any money.
Still, Sheriff Wenninger said his department is at the bare minimum, there are 13 fewer employees now than in 2001.
"We're operating with less money eight years ago then we are today as far as supplies and staff and salaries. We don't know of anybody who can operate household budget like that eight years ago," said Sheriff Wenninger.
Gee, if there isn't any money, then why do the Commissioners want to build a new jail? Yep, that is right...they want to build a new facility even though the current one is not filled, but prisoners are being shipped out due to lack of manpower:
Brown County Commissioners want to build a new jail, but the sheriff says no thanks.
Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger says the current jail holds 65 inmates, but his department only has enough money to house 35 inmates on any given day. He says they can't afford to pay for the guards or food that would be needed for more inmates.
Sheriff Wenninger also says the county is forced to pay to send some of its prisoners to Butler County, because there aren't enough resources to handle them in Brown County.
Did I mention that all the Commissioners are Democrats?
Commission President Margery "Purple People Eater" Paeltz, whose main qualification for commission was getting her arse handed to her in elections for the past 20 years, so much so people felt sorry for her, had this to say on the issue, showing an ignorance typical of Dems:
We only have what we have, we can only give what we have," said Paeltz.
Paeltz questions the Sheriff's decision to recently ship inmates to Butler County which costs around $70 per inmate.
"That's his choice, it's his budget his job to handle his budget. We weren't asked our opinion but know other counties around us that do offer prisoner housing rates that are lower," said Paeltz.
I wonder what experience Paeltz has in law enforcement...oh yeah, none!
Margery can question his decisions, but, you know Wenninger would catch hell if he understaffed the prison and an inmate escaped, or the state issued sanctions. The Dems on Commission are scapegoating Wenninger because he is one of the GOP's stalwarts in the County.
Of course, Margery can get dirt whenever she wants on the Republicans because her husband claims to be a Republican and comes to club and central committee meetings, throwing his own brand of chaos into things by shooting his ill-informed and emptyheaded mouth of whenever he feels like it. He has managed to get information on his wife's opponent's strategy to add key campaign dollars at times as well as some key placement of ads. If this were countries, one could say her hubby is a spy. But, your mileage may vary....
You know, Dwayne Wenninger is doing his best in the county. The commission is trying to say he is standing in the way of a new jail. However, again, why spend money on a new jail when the one we have isn't filled due to lack of staffing? Wait, I know, because it would be with "free" government money, from you, the taxpayer, they could get by sexing up the issue for a levy vote or getting some "stimulus" money. However, wouldn't the staffing problem remain? This is like Obama showing up talking how he saved those cop jobs in Columbus....FOR ONE YEAR.... Are these three Dims so Dumb? Sadly, the answer for Brown County is YEP.
