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.
Loss of revenue from boarding inmates has been one of the biggest hits to the department in recent year, falling by $728,000 since 2013.
The Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division made a total 1,114 criminal arrests in 2015, 260 of which were felony arrests; 400 misdemeanor arrests; 239 violation arrests; 184 warrant arrests; and 31 DWI arrests.
Deputies also arrested 52 defendants and filed 94 criminal and traffic charges. Those numbers are slightly higher than 2014, when deputies arrested 45 defendants and filed 82 criminal and traffic charges. Felony offenses declined from seven to three between 2014 and 2015 while misdemeanors climbed from 47 to 57 and violations went from 28 to 34.
The Sheriff’s K-9 division also saw a busy year. Use of the K-9 led to 17 arrests last year.
The Sheriff’s office saw more arrests for harassment than any other charge. A total 20 arrests were made for harassment in the second degree in 2015. Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree was second highest at 16 arrests, followed by Endangering the Welfare of a Child with 14 arrests.
On the road, deputies issued 1,718 tickets for various traffic offenses, most of which occurred in the towns of Norwich, North Norwich and Sherburne.
Cutting said as the department progresses through 2016, it will continue to hire and train new staff and remain committed to ensuring public trust and safety.