what services provide on federal lands? what are the challenges? is there a need for our services?
TRANSCRIPT
HOW THE CLEARWATER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS AFFECTED BY FEDERAL LANDS
What services provide on Federal Lands?
What are the challenges?Is there a need for our services?
The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office is the Dispatch
Center for all Clearwater County First responders
BACK COUNTRY DEPUTY
We have a fulltime deputy that works primarily on Forest Service land. He stays at a trailer at the Kelly Creek Work Center on the days that he works. The
trailer is equipped with a radio for communications. This deputy is funded partially by a Co-op agreement with the Forest Service. The funding is fixed and has not increased over the years. The funding pays for
less than half of the cost of a deputy.
To provide for better communications a new repeater was installed at Junction. Access to this site for radio equipment
is only by helicopter.
SOME OF THE CHALLENGES
Much of the Forest Service Land has limited access in the winter. The only way to access much of
the land is by snowmobile or helicopter. We have people that do various types of winter recreation
including snow shoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling and
off road adventures.
Calls for service vary from year to year. Our backcountry deputy
kept track of his contacts for the summers of 2007 and 2008
2007 2008
June 1144July 2772August 1219September 1721October 529
June 562July 2832August 2686September 1085October 467
Search and Rescue are also the responsibility of the Sheriff. Costs for extensive searches can easily exceed the Title III money that is
available.
PROVIDING LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A DIFFICULT TASK ANYWHERE BUT
REMOTE, LOW POPULATION AREAS MAKE THE CHALLENGE GREATER. AS FUNDING SOURCES GET HARDER TO FIND AND CURRENT FUNDING HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO INCREASE WE
MUST WORK TOGETHER WITH PARTNERS TO COMPLETE THE
TASKS. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW AND CREATIVE FUNDING SOURCES SO
THAT WE CAN DO THE JOB THAT IS REQUIRED OF US.