Katy Nicholson Herald Staff Writer

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HALIFAX - Sheriff Jeff Frazier outlined some issues his office and the county jail are currently facing during Tuesday night's Halifax County Board of Commissioners meeting, which was attended by State Sen. Ed Jones.

“Bottom line: I need help to protect the citizens of this county,” Frazier told the board.

The county jail is overcrowded, with an average of 106 inmates in a facility meant to hold about 80.

The 21-member staff has one vacancy, and seven of the employees have less than a year of experience. This high turnover rate is due to various issues, such as the dangerous nature of the job and the pay, Frazier reported. Corrections officers in the county start at $23,800, whereas those in other counties start around $27,000.

“As for the law enforcement side, we're busier than we've ever been in this county,” Frazier told the board.

Halifax County ranks 17th out of the state's 100 counties on the crime index, but the sheriff's office is finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with escalating crime.

The county only has two bailiffs, so off-duty officers often end up filling in during court cases. Officers also spend time collecting delinquent taxes when they should be dealing with more pressing crimes, Frazier said.

Of the 47 sworn officers in his department, Frazier noted 11 have less than one year of experience. These high turnover rates are costing the county.

“It's hard to put a number on when you lose an employee, but the biggest thing you lose is experience,” he said.

As with the corrections officers, those in the sheriff's department start off at a considerably lower salary than those offered by other counties. Halifax also lacks some of the advanced equipment other counties have.

“When you look at the other departments, they have all the bells and whistles,” he said. “They have the GPS system that keeps up with them everywhere they go.”

County Manager Matthew Delk told the Daily Herald the issue of crowded jails is not unique to Halifax County. The problem has affected the United States since about 1996, when the Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth-in-Sentencing Incentive Program, which affected length of time it takes to adjudicate cases, was implemented.

State mental health reform also has impacted the jail along with the rest of the county, Delk explained. The jail ends up housing some people who would have been checked into Riverstone. In addition to contributing to overcrowding, this also forces corrections officers to spend time transporting inmates to and from mental health facilities.

“It really is a sad statement of what's happened in the mental health arena and that's affected us in the county jail,” Delk said.

The cost of medical care, which is handled by the county health department, has increased.

At the meeting, Health Department Director Lynda Smith requested $140,714 in additional funding.

Though the health department has been trying to keep costs down, Smith said the services, which include hospital visits and everyday sick calls, have become more expensive.

Delk told the Daily Herald there isn't much flexibility for the county in this area.

“The difficult thing for us is you aren't really in a position where you can charge insurance when someone is incarcerated,” he said. “They're really our responsibility.”

Delk said one of the county's current legislative goals is a more proportionate level of contribution to mental health services. Since Riverstone closed, the county has continued to pay the same amount, and hopes to “level the playing field.”

Delk told Frazier if the legislature does lessen the county's mental health contribution, those funds could possibly be diverted to the county jail.

Other than that, the county doesn't have any immediate plans for the jail or sheriff's office, but will keep those issues in mind, Delk told the Daily Herald.

In other business:

€ The board voted to award a contract to C.P. Shaw and Associates of Greenville for appraisal of the county's old airport property.

The commissioners also voted to loan $10,000 from the fund balance to the airport disposal fund for the appraisal contract. That money will be reimbursed by the sale of the property.

€ The board decided to delay action on a budget amendment of $84,000 to bring the environmental health division of the health department and the county planning and permitting department into the same building.

This would make the permitting process more convenient for people building houses and doing renovations.

Commissioners Rives Manning and Carolyn Johnson said they would like to review plans for the project before making a decision, and the rest of the board agreed.

€ The board approved the receipt of a grant to cover the cost of two computers, a printer, furniture, software and installation costs for the Enfield Library. The total cost of the project will be $3,021, and the town of Enfield has agreed to match 15 percent, or $453. The grant would be available after July 1.

€ The board considered ways to fund the new $2.8 million industrial site. Options include paying for it up front from the fund balance, paying with a loan, or a combination of the two. The board will make a decision at a later meeting.