As 2020 comes to a close, Ross County Sheriff George Lavender says there are things COVID-19 has taught his office about how to make their department and the county jail more safe during the pandemic and in the future.
Sheriff Lavender says new equipment purchased for over $35,000 can protect the jail from COVID and other harmful viruses and bacteria that will protect prisoners and jail staff. This new equipment was paid for with federal CARES Act dollars from the pandemic.
In another area of discussion, the sheriff says he is still pushing for higher wages for staff in order to bolster their patrols in the community.
In a recent story, Sheriff George Lavender told iHeart Media News that they have seen many of their new hires move to other law enforcement offices for better pay and benefits, which has led to his calling for the county commissioners to improve sheriff department wages to keep that from happening.
Captain Mike Preston says if they can get their road patrols bolstered to recommended levels, they would like to increase their shifts from three to five.
Ross Sheriff patrols cover five districts throughout the county at this time, with several villages or townships serving as their base of operation.