Sheriff holds meeting with members of local web site

[Tim]

GRANTS PASS

01-28-2007

Sheriff holds brainstorming meeting with members of local web site
Proposed levy and future of Sheriff's department discussed

By TIM BURLESON

Click link to view document provided by Gil Gilbertson at meeting:
http://www.grantspassclimate.com/images/stories/sheriff_report_20070128.gif

GRANTS PASS, OR - Members of a local web site met with Sheriff Gil Gilbertson on Saturday to brainstorm ideas for making Josephine County a safer community and dealing with budget issues facing the Sheriff's department.

In a meeting lasting over five hours, Gilbertson and 17 citizens discussed prioritization of their concerns and budgetary issues including a levy that has been proposed by Josephine County Commissioners. The meeting was held at the request of Gilbertson and most in attendance were members of I Love Grants Pass.com, a community forum web site.

Gilbertson described the current situation in Josephine County as "lawless" and said that the purpose of the meeting was to find out what prioritization of services was most important based on budgetary constraints.

Gilbertson said there are a maximum of three deputies on duty during any given shift responsible for patrolling Josephine County which is 1,624 square miles in size. Under one budgetary proposal, Gilbertson said he would like to expand patrol to include 24-hour coverage with two deputies per substation with the county divided into three coverage areas: Cave Junction, Merlin and Grants Pass.

Josephine County is facing the loss of O&C funds, a timber subsidy program that expired in September. County Commissioners are bringing a levy to the voters in May, the specifics of which have not been finalized at this time. At 55 cents per thousand of assessed value, Josephine County has one of the lowest permanent tax rates in the state of Oregon. State law puts a five-year limit on special levies.

Gilbertson said one possibility was to separate the levy request into two parts to address concerns that city residents would end up paying for patrols outside of city limits. Under this scenario, a $9.2 million levy could be separated into $6.7 million for "jail/other" and $2.5 million for "patrol only."

"The levy was not by my request," Gilbertson said. "I will take whatever you put on my plate."

Gilbertson laid out scenarios based on three possible budgets. Under the worst case scenario, he said, the department would be staffed with 37 positions and none would be allocated to patrol. Under this scenario jail capacity would be 20 to 30 beds, he said.

Under the same budget with O&C funding, Gilbertson said the status quo coverage of up to three deputies on any shift patrolling the entire county would be maintained. Department personnel strength under this budget would be 88 positions. Under this scenario jail capacity would be 140 beds, he said.

The third scenario is based on project revenue of $9.2 million yearly if a levy is approved by the voters. Under this scenario, 24/7 patrol coverage would be increased to two deputies at three substations throughout the county. Gilbertson said it would also allow the jail to operate at 80% of capacity, or 210 beds or more. This scenario would put department personnel strength at 122 positions. Gilbertson said this would basically restore the department to year 2000 levels when personnel strength was 118.4 positions.

Gilbertson said that increasing the jail cap would help reduce failure to appear violations, as currently there is no incentive to post a bond since inmates know they will be released soon due to jail cap levels. Gilbertson said that at $800 each, with 3,000 failure to appear violations in 2006, this could potentially save taxpayers up to $1 million yearly.

During the meeting Gilbertson also presented his goals for the department:

- Promote public safety by providing basic services through partnerships between law enforcement and citizen involvement.

- Promote sustainable funding through all resources available.

- Evolve into a full service agency.

- Stability through a succession plan and training.

Gilbertson said that he will focus on "excellence in service," a phrase that he said he plans to have painted on patrol cars.

During the brainstorming session that followed, participants identified these concerns, in order of importance: funding, jail system, patrol/enforcement, community action, public relations and information technology.

On the net:

Josephine County Sheriff's Department
http://www.co.josephine.or.us/SectionIn ... ctionID=12

I Love Grants Pass.com
http://www.ilovegrantspass.com

Disclosure Statement: I Love Grants Pass.com is owned by Rogue Valley Group which also owns and operates the Grants Pass Climate web site.

Reach reporter Tim Burleson at 761-0195 or mailto:tim@grantspassclimate.com

Copyright © 2007 Grants Pass Climate

[fell4that1]

Sounds GREAT Tim Woot!

I am still trying to get an album up to show the pictures I took.

[Kismet]

i have been ridiculously busy the past few weeks, so have only had a chance to skim posts - but was this an open invitation meeting? I would have liked to have attended but I must not have been paying attention. The only mention I saw of it was the request for materials thread, but like I said - I've barely skimmed threads lately.

[Tim]

Yes, it was open to all members. But now that I think about it, the initial post may have been under GP Politics, which is a by request board, so some may have missed it.

[Sidewinder]

Just a couple of thoughts on yesterday. It was a great experience in democratic civic action. For 5 and a half hours, 17 citizens had the undivided attention of the county Sheriff for the sole purpose of learning how we felt about his job responsibilities. I, for one, felt privileged and honored for the opportunity to participate.

Whatever happens next, I am heartened by what I heard. My greatest concerns about the department went to attitude. Any organization develops an esprit de corps. If directed by management, it will be positive. If not, bad things can happen. We used to say, "The speed of the boss is the speed of the gang." One thing is clear. Sheriff Gilbertson has the right speed.

With regard to the funding issue. The proposal, as Gil outlined his understanding of the BCC's plan, would call for a 5 year levy on top of the permanent tax rate of 58 cents to produce some $9.2 million additional annual revenue. (With the provision that city residents would only share in the $6.7 million going toward the jail/administration.) For County residents, this would suggest an increase of some $2.00+/- per $1000 of assessed valuation.

Because this is a levy, it would not be a permanent tax increase, which means that at the end of 5 years, another levy would have to hazard voter approval if funding and services were to continue.

Sheriff Gilbertson stated it was his intention to have the Department self-sustaining in 5 years. To that end he recommended the establishment of a Justice of the Peace Court allowing for nearly $1 million per year income, aggressive pursuit of drug forfeitures, and aggressive cost cutting.

I have reservations in this regard. The only example I know of such a successful operation was up in Coburg which ran a speed trap on I-5 until the Legislature put them out of business.

Also, Public safety funding is only one part of the County's problem. Sheriff Gilbertson understands that the proposed levy of $9.2 million is to be all for the SO. Based on Harelson's Funding Crisis Report, I cannot see how this can work. However, the BCC will hopefully present the entire package next week and we can pencil it out after they have had a chance to speak for themselves.

[Tim]

I really enjoyed meeting some new folks for the first time like Sidewinder (who I'd seen in action before but had never met), Fell4that1, Phoenix, Redcloud and, of course, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson.

I noticed on the document provided by the sheriff that if the levy is approved one position could be allocated for "community policing."

Can someone explain what that might mean and what would the duties of such a position be?

Thanks!

[Redcloud]

I really enjoyed meeting some new folks for the first time like Sidewinder (who I'd seen in action before but had never met), Fell4that1, Phoenix, Redcloud and, of course, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson.

I noticed on the document provided by the sheriff that if the levy is approved one position could be allocated for "community policing."

Can someone explain what that might mean and what would the duties of such a position be?

Thanks!

I saw that too Tim, but did not get the chance to ask the Sheriff about it. As you might imagine I can think of all kinds of things for a COP officer to do at the Sheriff's Office, but I'm not the Sheriff. I'll bet he has an idea of what that position's duties would be.

[Sidewinder]

I really enjoyed meeting some new folks for the first time like Sidewinder (who I'd seen in action before but had never met), Fell4that1, Phoenix, Redcloud and, of course, Sheriff Gil Gilbertson.

I noticed on the document provided by the sheriff that if the levy is approved one position could be allocated for "community policing."

Can someone explain what that might mean and what would the duties of such a position be?

Thanks!

I saw that too Tim, but did not get the chance to ask the Sheriff about it. As you might imagine I can think of all kinds of things for a COP officer to do at the Sheriff's Office, but I'm not the Sheriff. I'll bet he has an idea of what that position's duties would be.

Now you've got me scratching my head. I thought it refered to Redcloud's SCAT recommendation.

[diogenes]

I thought it refered to Redcloud's SCAT recommendation.

Would you mind spelling out that acronym? -- It sounds like Redcloud's recommendation either had something to do with improvisational jazz vocals or something to do with potty humor...

[Redcloud]

I thought it refered to Redcloud's SCAT recommendation.

Would you mind spelling out that acronym? -- It sounds like Redcloud's recommendation either had something to do with improvisational jazz vocals or something to do with potty humor...

/blink

Community
Safety
Action
Team

[diogenes]

Thanks, Redcloud.(I guess I was thinking a little too far outside the box... )

[Redcloud]

Thanks, Redcloud.(I guess I was thinking a little too far outside the box... )

LoL, you had me at improvisational jazz =)

[diogenes]

LoL, you had me at improvisational jazz =)

I'm a big Ella Fitzgerald fan.:wink:

[fell4that1]

Thanks, Redcloud.(I guess I was thinking a little too far outside the box... )

ROTFL!!!! I just about spit my Budweiser all over my desk!

[fell4that1]

Just a bit of humor here...
Gil thought Tim's name was "Tim Woot". He saw that little 'woot!" sign under Tim's name and thought his last name was Woot! We all got a big giggle out of that.