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Jul 03, 2023

Ohio County Sheriff’s Department Seeks New Equipment, Vehicles

Aug 3, 2023 photo by: Joselyn King Ohio County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Rod Vaught, left, and Chief Deputy John Schultz present requests to county commissioners this week. WHEELING — The Ohio County

Aug 3, 2023

photo by: Joselyn King

Ohio County Sheriff’s Department Maj. Rod Vaught, left, and Chief Deputy John Schultz present requests to county commissioners this week.

WHEELING — The Ohio County Sheriff’s Department is seeking to replace the firearms they use with new ones — and if commissioners agree, they also would like a few new patrol vehicles and new laptops.

Chief Deputy John Schultz and Maj Rod Vaught addressed the Ohio County commissioners this week with some upcoming needs that would involve major expenditures.

The requests come just after county commissioners agreed to a legal settlement with the deputies in May that granted them a 23% wage increase retroactive to Jan. 1.

“Our weapons are six years old,” Schultz explained. “We currently use the Sig Sauer 40-caliber. Looking to exchange those for 9 mm Sigs.”

The purchase would include holsters and magazines, and the company would buy back any of the unused 40-caliber ammunition, Schultz continued.

He explained the 9 mm weapons, while smaller, are more accurate and safer to use and maintain. In addition, the ammunition is cheaper as deputies do much training and shoot their weapons on the range, according to Schultz.

The price tag for buying the 60 weapons requested would be about $72,000. After the exchange and buyback of ammunition, the final cost would be $52,400, he said.

Commissioners asked Schultz if the replacement of weapons after six years was typical in law enforcement. Schultz said it was.

“If you keep a weapon yourself, you can shoot it for a long time,” he explained. “But we train a lot, and we keep a higher standard (than state requirements). Our weapons go through a lot.”

Commissioners asked Schultz just how many deputies are now employed by the department. He and Vaught did a quick count between them, and estimated there are 32 deputies who would need weapons.

Schultz acknowledged the department keeps extra weapons on hand for when one needs to be replaced within the department.

Vaught oversees the equipment used by the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department, and he added the office currently has 10 weapons on hand that were held back and never issued. These would be part of the buy back deal when new weapons are purchased.

Vaught and Schultz explained that it is necessary to replace all weapons in the department when there is a changeout. That way, all deputies can be trained at one time in the use of the firearm, and multiple types of ammunition don’t have to be purchased.

Additionally, the Ohio County Sheriff’s Department expressed the need for two other high-ticket items. Vaught said the department presently has nine vehicles with over 100,000 miles on them, and they would like to replace them with Chevy Tahoes.

The sheriff’s department fleet consists of 50 vehicles – including four for administration, two for detectives, four for court bailiffs, and four for school prevention resource officers, Vaught reported.

He said there are 17 patrol cars, including two canine units. Additionally, the department has one transport vehicle, three for process servers, a DARE vehicle, a critical response vehicle and five trailers. There are other vehicles at the department leased by the drug task force, or deemed as out of service.

Patrol vehicles are assigned to specific deputies, and typically average 18,000 miles a year in use, according to Vaught.

Also, deputies do all their reports on laptop computers within their cruisers, and these can also be removed for use elsewhere by the deputy, Vaught explained. The sheriff’s department is looking to replace at least 10 of the laptops used on patrol, and this comes with a price tag of close to $2,000 each because of the software needed.

Commissioner Randy Wharton took issue that Howard was not present at the meeting to make the requests, and said he wouldn’t badger his representatives Schultz and Vaught with many of the questions he had.

“I wish the sheriff would be present at these meetings when we talk about vehicles,” he said.

When reached by phone Wednesday, Howard explained he did not attend Tuesday’s commission meeting as the Prevention Resource Officer’s conference is taking place this week at The Highlands Event Center.

Howard said he has put requests for such items as weapons, cruisers and laptops into his annual budget, but these requests have thus far been rejected by commissioners. They have told him they could be reinstated after carryover dollars from the last fiscal year are considered.

Administrator Randy Russell has been presented with the proposed costs for items, he said.

“We’re trying to be as financially responsible as we can, but there are needs we have to fill,” he said. “We’re trying to get the best price for cruisers and equipment. We are just trying to work with them to get the equipment we need, and so far we have been stonewalled.

“This is a public safety issue, and a deputy safety issue. I want the public to be safe, and the deputies as well,” Howard said.

Wharton asked Schultz and Vaught on Tuesday how many of the 32 deputies were actually assigned to patrol, as some serve as bailiffs, detectives or process servers. Schultz and Vaught estimated about 24.

“We want the department to have the best equipment that they can have,” Wharton said. “But at some point we have to start thinking about using what we have, versus what we want.”

Wharton did note the sheriff’s department was “not in crisis mode” at this time with their weapons, but that the purchase was something the commission would consider.

Commissioners suggested that in the future policies be put in place to avoid a host of needed purchases at one time.

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