Sheriff Updates Commissioners On Office Changes
July 7, 2020 at 10:42 p.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
“We made the decision Jan. 1 to purchase two K-9 units,” Dukes said. “When you purchase the K-9 units, it’s just the beginning. There’s a six-week training course for the K-9 and the handler that both of them have to pass.”
Equipment also needs to be purchased including cages for patrol vehicles, bullet-proof vests for the K-9 units, badges, food and leashes.
The design for 2020 vehicles are different than those of 2019 vehicles and older. They took a different cage, which the cage design businesses did not realize, Dukes said.
New firearms were purchased for the SWAT team, Dukes said. There was so much training in the firearms section that they were low on ammunition.
In looking at it, “we carry 9 mm and it’s very tough to get 9 mm,” he said. “I’m telling you, I did not think we’d come to the point where law enforcement would have a tough time finding ammo, but it is, especially 9 mm.”
Body armor for the sheriff’s office has expired, so new body armor was purchased.
An old squad room has also been turned into an entertainment room.
The sheriff’s office is up to full staff.
With the COVID pandemic, the sheriff’s office purchased some supplies, including hand sanitizer.
Both the men’s and women’s programs of Jail Chemical Addiction Program started back up Monday.
Alan Tio, CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, also updated the commissioners on work KEDCo has been working on.
One of the main things in KEDCo’s entrepreneurship initiative is KEDCo’s small business relief fund.
The Relief Fund makes loans of up to $10,000 to support business recovery and job retention among businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The loans will be available for up to 24-months at 0% interest with deferment of the first payment up to six months.
“We want to work with small businesses here and see them flourish here,” Tio said.
KEDCo is also offering a summer innovation series of five one-hour long seminars online to help “business owners, business leaders, community leaders” to grow their critical thinking skills.
Tio also talked about KEDCo’s with TMap in Indianapolis. TMap helps develop talent pipelines by recruiting out-of-state using LinkedIn and other sources. Tio said Kosciusko County is the first in the state to partner with them.
Tio said the current unemployment rate for Kosciusko County is under 9%, which is the 10th lowest in the state.
In other news, the commission:
• approved the renewal of a contract with Intelligent Fiber Network. The price will go up $50 a month, but the bandwidth will increase.
• learned the Kosciusko County Council meeting Thursday will be held at the courthouse due to heating and cooling issues at the Justice Building.
• approved the appointment of Sally Cline to the Milford Library Board. Cline will replace Margaret Cousins. Cline’s four-year term will begin Aug. 1.
“We made the decision Jan. 1 to purchase two K-9 units,” Dukes said. “When you purchase the K-9 units, it’s just the beginning. There’s a six-week training course for the K-9 and the handler that both of them have to pass.”
Equipment also needs to be purchased including cages for patrol vehicles, bullet-proof vests for the K-9 units, badges, food and leashes.
The design for 2020 vehicles are different than those of 2019 vehicles and older. They took a different cage, which the cage design businesses did not realize, Dukes said.
New firearms were purchased for the SWAT team, Dukes said. There was so much training in the firearms section that they were low on ammunition.
In looking at it, “we carry 9 mm and it’s very tough to get 9 mm,” he said. “I’m telling you, I did not think we’d come to the point where law enforcement would have a tough time finding ammo, but it is, especially 9 mm.”
Body armor for the sheriff’s office has expired, so new body armor was purchased.
An old squad room has also been turned into an entertainment room.
The sheriff’s office is up to full staff.
With the COVID pandemic, the sheriff’s office purchased some supplies, including hand sanitizer.
Both the men’s and women’s programs of Jail Chemical Addiction Program started back up Monday.
Alan Tio, CEO of Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, also updated the commissioners on work KEDCo has been working on.
One of the main things in KEDCo’s entrepreneurship initiative is KEDCo’s small business relief fund.
The Relief Fund makes loans of up to $10,000 to support business recovery and job retention among businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The loans will be available for up to 24-months at 0% interest with deferment of the first payment up to six months.
“We want to work with small businesses here and see them flourish here,” Tio said.
KEDCo is also offering a summer innovation series of five one-hour long seminars online to help “business owners, business leaders, community leaders” to grow their critical thinking skills.
Tio also talked about KEDCo’s with TMap in Indianapolis. TMap helps develop talent pipelines by recruiting out-of-state using LinkedIn and other sources. Tio said Kosciusko County is the first in the state to partner with them.
Tio said the current unemployment rate for Kosciusko County is under 9%, which is the 10th lowest in the state.
In other news, the commission:
• approved the renewal of a contract with Intelligent Fiber Network. The price will go up $50 a month, but the bandwidth will increase.
• learned the Kosciusko County Council meeting Thursday will be held at the courthouse due to heating and cooling issues at the Justice Building.
• approved the appointment of Sally Cline to the Milford Library Board. Cline will replace Margaret Cousins. Cline’s four-year term will begin Aug. 1.
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