Amherst County officials discuss public safety staffing challenges, needs

kAmp>96CDE r@F?EJ DFA6CG:D@CD C646?E=J C646:G65 2 C6A@CE @? DE277:?8[ >@C2=6[ A2J 2?5 EFC?@G6C :? E96 56A2CE>6?E @7 AF3=:4 D276EJ 2?5 E96 DE2EFD @7 2 7@FCE9 >65:4 7@C 6>6C86?4J D6CG:46D C6DA@?D6]k^Am

kAmr@F?EJ p5>:?:DEC2E@C s62? #@586CD 255C6DD65 E96 3@2C5 @7 DFA6CG:D@CD @? E9@D6 :DDF6D 2?5 C6DA@?5:?8 E@ 492==6?86D :? 2EEC24E:?8 2?5 C6E2:?:?8 6>A=@J66D 7@C 6>6C86?4J >65:42= D6CG:46D] p44@C5:?8 E@ #@586CD’ AC6D6?E2E:@?[ :E E2<6D af 6>6C86?4J >65:42= E649?:4:2? A@D:E:@?D E@ 36 2E 7F== DE277]k^Am

kAmpD @7 E96 3@2C5’D yF?6 a` >66E:?8[ E96 4@F?EJ 925 `g t|%D 2?5 H2D H@C<:?8 E@ 7:== G242?4:6D :? 2 ?F>36C @7 2C62D]k^Am

kAm“xE’D 42FD:?8 2 8C62E 562= @7 DEC2:? @? E96 DJDE6>[” #@586CD E@=5 DFA6CG:D@CD @7 E96 ?665 7@C >@C6 t|% DE277:?8]k^Am

kAm|62?H9:=6[ 86EE:?8 E:>6 @77 7@C DE277 t|$ H@C<6CD 92D 366? 2 492==6?86[ 2?5 2? @G6CE:>6 3F586E 4@G6CD E92E[ 3FE 6G6? E92E D6EFA 92D 366? DEC2:?:?8 E96 DJDE6> 7@C D@>6 E:>6[ #@586CD E@=5 DFA6CG:D@CD] %96 4@F?EJ :D 2E E96 E@A @7 E96 A2J D42=6 :? E96 {J?493FC8 C68:@? 7@C t|$ H@C<6CD[ 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 :E’D 325[ E96 @E96C 4@F?E:6D 92G6 :E H@CD6[” #@586CD D2:5] “xE 5@6D?’E D@=G6 @FC AC@3=6>D 3FE :E AFED :E :? A6CDA64E:G6] (6 2C6 5@:?8 H92E H6 42? E@ 2==6G:2E6 E96 D:EF2E:@?]”k^Am

kAm%96 4@F?EJ 2=D@ :D H@C<:?8 E@ 86E E96 t=@? 7:C6 2?5 C6D4F6 DE2E:@? FA 2?5 CF??:?8 7@C E96 AFCA@D6 @7 9@FD:?8 2 7@FCE9 >65:4 F?:E] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE[ ;FDE >@C6 E92? Seh[___ 92D 366? 2==@42E65 H:E9 86EE:?8 E96 t=@? DE2E:@? C625J 2?5 2== 3FE C@F89=J S`b[___ H2D DA6?E 2D @7 yF?6 `b]k^Am

kAm#@586CD 2=D@ 255C6DD65 E96 5FE:6D @7 E96 4@F?EJ’D 7:C6 >2CD92=[ H9:49 4FCC6?E=J 72==D F?56C E96 AF3=:4 D276EJ 5:C64E@C A@D:E:@? E96 4@F?EJ :D H@C<:?8 E@ 7:== H:E9 E96 FA4@>:?8 C6E:C6>6?E @7 $2> qCJ2?E 67764E:G6 $6AE] `] %96 7:C6 >2CD92= :D ?@E:7:65 2?J E:>6 2? :?4:56?E 4@>>2?56C 42??@E 56E6C>:?6 E96 42FD6 @C @C:8:? @7 2? :?4:56?E^7:C6 @C 92D 4@?46C?D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE] {2DE J62C ea DF49 7:C6D H6C6 :?G6DE:82E65]k^Am

kAmw:C:?8 2 7:C6 >2CD92= 7@C E92E ;@3 @?=J 92D 366? @? E96 3@2C5’D 5:D4FDD:@? =:DE C646?E=J 3FE 5:5?’E 86E E96 8@\29625 7@C C646:G:?8 7F?5:?8 2D 2? 25565 4@F?EJ A@D:E:@?] #@586CD ?@E65 E96 AF3=:4 D276EJ 5:C64E@C :D DAC625 G6CJ E9:? H:E9 E96 >2?J 5FE:6D @7 E96 7:C6 >2CD92=]k^Am

kAmp? :?46?E:G6 E96 4@F?EJ 8:G6D 7@C t|$ DE277 :D Sb\A6C\9@FC 6IEC2 “9@=5@G6C” A2J :? G@=F?E66C:?8 7@C 6IEC2 D9:7ED 2?5 Sc\A6C\9@FC A6C 9@FC H96? H@C<:?8 E9@D6 D9:7ED 2C6 ?@E G@=F?E2CJ]k^Am

kAm“q642FD6 H6 5@?’E 92G6 6?@F89 DE277 E@ 7:== 2== E96 D9:7ED[ H6 2D< 7@C A6@A=6 E@ G@=F?E66C E@ D6CG6 6IEC2 D9:7ED[” #@586CD 6IA=2:?65]k^Am

kAmw6 25565 DE277 42?’E 36 7@C465 E@ 8:G6 FA E96:C 7C66 E:>6 2?5 E92E’D 2 C62D@? 7@C =62G:?8 7@C 6>A=@J>6?E 6=D6H96C6]k^Am

kAm“%96J 8@ @E96C A=246D E@ 86E 36EE6C D9:7ED[” #@586CD D2:5]k^Am

kAm$E2CE:?8 A2J 7@C 5:DA2E496CD 2=D@ :D E96 =@H6DE :? E96 C68:@? 2?5 E92E ?665D E@ 36 7:I65[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE 2?5 @77:4:2=D’ 5:D4FDD:@?] %96 C6A@CE :?5:42E6D DE2CE:?8 A2J 7@C 5:DA2E496CD D9@F=5 36 C2:D65 E@ S`d 2? 9@FC]k^Am

kAm#@586CD D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ AC@A@D6 D6G6C2= ?6H =:6FE6?2?E A@D:E:@?D 7@C t|$ :? ?6IE J62C’D 3F586E AC@46DD] w6 D2:5 DF49 A@D:E:@?D 42? D6CG6 2D 2 3F776C 7@C DE277 D9@CE286D[ E2<6 @? 6IEC2 AC@;64ED 2?5 4@?5F4E EC2:?:?8 6G6?ED]k^Am

kAm“%96C6’D 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D E92E =:6FE6?2?E 42? 5@[” #@586CD D2:5[ 255:?8 @7 4@G6C:?8 >@C6 D9:7EDi “%9:D :D 2 H2J E@ 5@ E92E H:E9 E9C66 6IEC2 =:6FE6?2?ED]”k^Am

kAm#@586CD D2:5 >2?J @7 E96 :DDF6D 2?5 ?665D :? E96 C6A@CE H6C6 7:CDE :56?E:7:65 :? a_`b] “(6 ;FDE 92G6?’E 8@EE6? 2C@F?5 E@ :E]”k^Am

kAmw6 D2:5 2=D@ :D 4@?76CC:?8 H:E9 @77:4:2=D 7C@> @E96C {J?493FC8 2C62 =@42=:E:6D @? E96 A@E6?E:2= 7@C 2 C68:@?2= t|$ 24256>J[ H9:49 96 36=:6G6D H@F=5 D6CG6 2D 2 36?67:4:2= C64CF:E:?8 E@@=]k^Am

kAm“%96 A:A6=:?6 :D ;FDE ?@E 7F==[” #@586CD D2:5 @7 A@E6?E:2= t|$ 6>A=@J66D] “(6’C6 2== 7:89E:?8 @G6C E96 D2>6 A6@A=6]”k^Am

kAm$FA6CG:D@C %@> |2CE:? E92?<65 #@586CD 7@C AFEE:?8 E96 C6A@CE E@86E96C 2?5 D2:5 96 H@F=5 =:<6 E96 3@2C5 E@ D:E 5@H? D@@? 2?5 AC:@C:E:K6 >62DFC6D E@ ?665D]k^Am

kAm“x E9:?< E96C6’D D@>6 E9:?8D E92E C6BF:C6 :>>65:2E6 2EE6?E:@?[” |2CE:? D2:5]k^Am

kAm|2CE:?[ H9@ 2=D@ D6CG6D 2D 49:67 @7 E96 p>96CDE u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E[ 4@>A=:>6?E65 AF3=:4 D276EJ DE277 2?5 5:DA2E496CD 7@C E96:C H@C< @? 2 52:=J 32D:D]k^Am

kAm“x H:== 2EE6DE @FC A6@A=6 H@C< G6CJ 92C5[” |2CE:? D2:5]k^Am

k9bmp>96CDE t|$\C6=2E65 DE2E:DE:4D :? E96 C6A@CEk^9bm

kAmuC@> pF8FDE a_`h E@ E9:D yF?6[ p>96CDE r@F?EJ !F3=:4 $276EJ 7:6=565 hgT @7 E96 t|$ 42== C6DA@?D6 :? E96 4@F?EJ H:E9 p>96CDE {:76 $2G:?8 rC6H 2?5 E96 |@?6=:D@? '@=F?E66C #6D4F6 $BF25 6249 A:4<:?8 FA `T]k^Am

kAmx? E92E D2>6 A6C:@5[ p>96CDE r@F?EJ !F3=:4 $276EJ^!65=2C '@=F?E66C u:C6 2?5 #6D4F6 A:4<65 FA gT @7 7:CDE 5F6 t|$ 42==D[ p>96CDE r@F?EJ {:G6 $2G:?8 rC6H E@@< b`T 2?5 |@?6=:D@? '@=F?E66C #6D4F6 $BF25 7:6=565 e`T] u@C 7:CDE 5F6 7:C6 42==D :? E96 D2>6 DEC6E49[ E96 |@?6=:D@? '@=F?E66C u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E C6DA@?565 E@ deT[ E96 p>96CDE u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E bfT 2?5 E96 !65=2C '@=F?E66C u:C6 s6A2CE>6?E fT]k^Am

kAmp>96CDE r@F?EJ !F3=:4 $276EJ DE277’D 2G6C286 C6DA@?D6 E:>6 E@ 42==D H2D `a]c >:?FE6D :? a_`h[ `b]d >:?FE6D :? a_a_ 2?5 `b]h >:?FE6D =2DE J62C] p>96CDE {:76 $2G:?8 rC6H 2G6C2865 2 C6DA@?D6 E:>6 @7 `` >:?FE6D :? a_`h[ ad]f >:?FE6D :? a_a_ 2?5 `g]f >:?FE6D =2DE J62C] |@?6=:D@? '@=F?E66C #6D4F6 $BF25 2G6C2865 2 C6DA@?D6 E:>6 @7 `a]b >:?FE6D :? a_`h[ `a]d >:?FE6D :? a_a_ 2?5 `_]d >:?FE6D :? a_a`]k^Am

kAm%96 4@F?EJ’D 42== =@25 E@ 5:DA2E496CD H2D ;FDE D9J @7 bb[___ :? a_`h 2?5 9@G6C65 ;FDE @G6C b`[e__ :? 6249 @7 E96 7@==@H:?8 EH@ J62CD] %9@D6 42==D 2G6C2865 b]g 2? 9@FC :? a_`h 2?5 b]e :? 6249 @7 E96 7@==@H:?8 EH@ J62CD]k^Am