Sheriff Gives Annual Report

CREST HAVEN – Sheriff Gary Schaffer delivered the 2013 annual report to freeholders Feb. 11 that showed nearly $4.5 million in receipts, and the fifth consecutive years of being under budget and fifth year overtime has declined, as has sick time.
Schaffer attributed a great deal of the reduction in overtime, about 900 hours, to the start of a 24-hour nursing facility in-house.
The correctional center is “very short-handed…down 10 corrections officers,” Schaffer reported, noting his department awaits March release of a list from the state Department of Personnel list to hire.
He lauded the department’s management team as the key to making the facility run well.
The Animal Shelter, also under Schaffer’s control, reported donations from the public of $94,497 to aid the facility. Gifts aside, the shelter generated $38,787. Through the year the shelter housed 686 cats and 408 dogs.
Its euthanasia rate is 8.2 percent which, said Schaffer, “Is considered a no-kill shelter, and unheard of” for a public shelter which must take in every animal brought to it.
“It was a diamond in the rough. Now it’s a diamond shining because everybody looks toward that shelter and says, ‘Why can’t you do what Cape May County is doing?’” A 10-percent of under rate is considered “no kill” he said.
In 2008, the shelter’s euthanasia rate was 33.5 percent.
He noted there were 5,575 hours of volunteer time given at the shelter.
Medical co-pays from inmates were $8,365, electronic (“bracelet”) monitoring, $25,091, Internet visitations, $11,498.
He estimated over $200,000 was saved in medical costs by removing inmates, with serious medical conditions, from jail, and placing them on the electronic monitor program. He said $165,228 was saved in incarcerations by the program in which 51 inmates participated, 48 of those new admissions.
Schaffer noted an increase in those virtual visits when temperatures dropped and fewer ventured out to pay a personal visit to the correctional center. Similarly, telephone receipts were $108,532 from inmates’ calls.
For juveniles, the alternative to incarceration program had 29 new admissions, with $8,177 in fees collected. He estimated 1,399 “detention beds” were saved using the program.
By utilizing those alternative methods to handle inmates, the county saved about $2.5 million (not including juveniles) over four years, he said.
Inmate population, in the facility built to hold 188, was about 225 daily, down from the 294 average in 2008. In January, however, he noted there were an average 270 inmates daily, and 272 on Feb. 11.
“The weather has something to do with it,” he opined. “We are crowded now,” he said.
Many “don’t realize” how many inmates are processed at the correctional center, said the sheriff. In 2013 there were 3,408, up 137 over the previous year. There were also 3,392 releases, up 134.
‘I have difficulty understanding that,” said Freeholder Director Gerald Thornton. “The county has a declining population, down 6,000 residents, and overall the (correctional center) population keeps increasing. It’s bizarre.”
A factor, offered Freeholder Kristine Gabor is unemployment and drug addiction.
Schaffer noted the county’s heroin problem. “You’ve got theft that goes along with that. Quality of life can take a dip when this happens.”
“Food stamp numbers are up 23 or 24 percent,” said Thornton.
At the center there were 96 use of force incidents, 1,992 video conferences for courts, and 3,138 inmate work hours. From the 135 GED classes there were 20 graduates.
There were two suicide attempts, down from 15 in 2013.
Visits from family members totaled 3,814 with 2,102 remote (virtual or Internet) visits.
Also at the center were 2,072 religious services and contacts made.
Corrections officers totaled 12,228 hours of sick time, something that Schaffer had also closely monitored, since it is a potential driver of overtime costs.
Schaffer told the board he had empowered sergeants and worked with the officers’ union in order to rein in sick time. In that regard, officer sick time dropped to 1,019 days, down from 1,126 days in 2012 and a high of 1,215 days in 2010.
Sheriff’s officers, who oversee hospitalized inmates, showed overtime reduction to 7-6 hours compared with 1,673 in 2012. As noted, Schaffer believes instituting the 24-hour nursing center was key to cutting the hospital detail’s overtime.
“It was a tough decision freeholders wrangled with over long-term savings, but it did produce results,” he said. Because of that commitment, the medical facility is operated by Conmed Healthcare Management, Inc., based in Hanover, Md., which, Schaffer said, “is doing an outstanding job.”
Inmates who are ill are taken to that in-center facility for treatment, which reduces hospitalization costs.
Other notable highlights included in Schaffer’s report:
• First graduation of the state’s police bloodhound academy was held May 1 with six teams. A follow-up in-service brought 14 teams from throughout the region to the county.
• Body cameras are used by K-9 and Warrant teams.
• Five patrol dogs are cross trained for narcotics and explosives.
• Two K-9 teams are members of regional SWAT and ballistic vests are used for K-9. Those K-9 unit members responded to 421 calls.
• An automatic license plate reader is used in the County Park where 179,182 vehicles entered, including 635 school buses and 473 mini buses.
• There were 3,535 children who received presentations from McGruff the crime-fighting dg, and Eddie Eagle for danger strangers, bullying and gun safety programs.
• All unclaimed jail property is turned over to the ARC of Rio Grande where it is sold to benefit that organization.
All personnel communications and records are paperless as are other records under the “Power DMS” system. That makes them accessible via computer, and reduces storage space requirements.
Schaffer said the county’s other departments might also benefit if they adopted a similar paperless system of personnel tracking.
He also said the state Comptroller’s Office had questioned the department’s low overtime rate. “They can’t figure out why we are the lowest, probably 95 percent less than other jails are paying,” said Schaffer.
“They came back to us twice. We gave them everything,” he said.
The “Fresh to You” program at the correctional center has “cut back on problems,” he said. It rewards “deserving inmates” with special meals, paid by the Inmate Welfare Fund, not taxpayers. That same fund also purchased flat-screen TVs for all housing units, at no cost to taxpayers, he said.
Schaffer also reported 21 clients using Project Lifesaver devices, which help to quickly find wearers who may wander from their residence.
Schaffer singled out Bob Ginder, who plans to retire April 1, as an exemplary employee. In 19 years of employment, he has taken no sick time. “That is an example of the employees we have,” said Schaffer.