CHENANGO COUNTY – The Chenango County Sheriff’s Communications division fielded more than 105,000 emergency and non-emergency calls in 2015, more than 16,000 of which were handled by the Sheriff’s Law Enforcement division, according to the department’s annual report.

The 2015 report was presented to the county Board of Supervisors this month. While the 104-page document highlights some of the challenges faced by the department, including escalating costs of medical and overtime expenses and a rapid turnover of personnel in the correctional facility, it also stresses the successes of the department which Sheriff Ernest Cutting said continues to effectively operate within its $8 million budget.

By meeting certain criteria, the Sheriff’s Office holds accreditation through the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program – a distinction achieved by fewer than 25 percent of the 542 police agencies in New York State.

“The public wants to know that they have safer homes. They want to know that they have trained officers come to their homes to help resolve problems, and they want to know that the people who are incarcerated are being taken care of properly,” said Cutting. “We hold ourselves to a high standard of doing that.”

In 2015, the Sheriff’s Office saw stagnant costs in fringe benefits, stopping a five-year trend of consistent increases. At the same time, utility costs at the jail actually decreased by $61,000. Conversely, medical expenses increased nearly $21,000 while the revenue from boarding out-of-Chenango inmates decreased by nearly $122,000.