Sheriff Reports K-9, Transport, Jail Units Kept Busy Through 2012

CREST HAVEN – Cape May County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit dogs are literally using their noses and working their tails off. Like their human partners, their numbers are few but their tasks are many for 29 police districts.
According to Sheriff Gary Schaffer, who delivered the annual (2012) report to freeholders Feb. 12, the K-9 Unit, a part of the Law Enforcement-Civil Division, has four teams and eight dogs, down from a dozen dogs several years ago. Four patrol dogs are cross trained in explosives and narcotics.
For the year, the unit made 379 calls, including 97 narcotics, 49 explosives, 41 each criminal tracking and missing persons, six accelerant and nine Project Lifesaver. The latter is done in conjunction with a bracelet-type device that enables the dog and partner to track a wearer who may have Alzheimer’s disease or similar condition. Remainder of the calls were patrol requests, demonstrations and county jail assists. One was a cadaver search.
Those calls resulted in 157 hours of overtime, 472 hours of straight time, and 95 hours of comp time for call outs. Schaffer said no sick time was used by the officers during the year.
While the number of calls is down slightly, the unit assisted North Wildwood, Wildwood and Sea Isle City with summer enforcement and at special events, such as the Irish Festival, Roar to the Shore, Polar Bear Plunge, Kenny Chesney concert on Wildwood’s beach, and Memorial Day weekend.
Since the K-9 Unit partners with the county Animal Shelter for medical services, Schaffer reported that expense went to $1,168 from $6,905 in 2011.
In addition to caring for their dogs for 248 work days, the kennels were cared for and maintained on 98 days off, Schaffer reported. Additionally, there were 935 hours of K-9 training over 253 days and an additional 344 hours of non-K-9 required training.
Department wide, the sheriff who gave his fourth annual report, noted overtime in 2012 was $176,478 compared with $348,824 in 2008 and $196,730 in 2011. The department employs 163 full-time and 19 part-time employees. That is a reduction from 188 when he took over the office.
There are four departments in the Sheriff’s Office: Legal and Civil Division, Correctional Center, County Security and Animal Shelter.
Schaffer cited his staff Executive Undersheriff John Maher, Undersheriff Robert Nolan, and Warden Donald Lombardo for making things run smoothly day to day.
“I am obligated to point out that with the salaries increasing once again in 2013, especially since we have taken over juvenile transportation costs, it will be extremely difficult to maintain this direction. However, I believe…we are leveling out,” Schaffer said.
While preparing the annual budget, Schaffer noted the office had a budget salary surplus of $342,741. That sum was returned to the county treasurer, he said.
There is a new unit, Office of Personnel, Ethics and Professional Standards, which “continued improvements to address cost concerns with personnel.”
That unit was given the task of overseeing the accreditation process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. That meant a total review of every policy and procedure done by the department, as well as meeting 112 standards required for certification.
“We became the sixth sheriff’s office in the state…to receive this certification and the sixth law enforcement agency in Cape May County,” Schaffer said. As a result, he said there should be a substantial reduction of insurance costs for the county.
Internet visits, at $10 each, resulted in $13,655 brought in by the department. Schaffer said the jail was the first in the nation to introduce that new visitation concept. It allows virtual visits to be made from anywhere, with up to six persons taking part, without the inmate having to be escorted to the visiting area, or a personal visit made.
At the request of local chiefs of police, the department created a 4-12 Shift Field Support Unit. The members of that unit assist by transporting inmates after hours. That function was once done by local police departments.
“It also helps us meet a core function of inmate transportation and control,” Schaffer reported. The unit’s primary responsibility is to transport prisoners from municipalities. It also assists with warrant entries, warrant validations for the ID bureau, civil services, warrant executions, electronic bracelet monitoring, court room duties and general road patrols.
An officer is detailed as a school resource officer at the County Special Services School District whose salary is paid by the district.
Schaffer credited Judith Davies-Dunhour, director of the Animal Shelter and Adoption Center for establishing a program that would allow monetary donations to the shelter. On the revenue side, Schaffer said the shelter earned $41,686 and $42,636 in shelter donations.
For two straight years, the shelter has a euthanasia rate below 10 percent, 8.5 percent in 2012. “Only a very few public shelters can make that claim,” Schaffer stated.
Another income generator for the department was participating in child support enforcement, which, through NJ KIDS, brought $56,372 into the county as revenue.
Body cameras were added to officers in the Correctional Center. Those help to “secure evidence needed to reduce frivolous complaints by inmates. Inmates, averaged 224 daily in a facility built for about 188. That number is down over the past few years, Schaffer reported. The inmates accounted for over 90 percent of the civilian complaints filed against corrections officers in 2012.