Sept. 12--Franklin County Sheriff Zach Scott will tell a group of local and state law enforcers today that he cannot increase patrols near the soon-to-open West Side casino because he lacks enough deputies to safely police the area.
The move is the latest in a simmering fight between Scott and the county commissioners over the sheriff's budget and comes even as the commissioners have approved lifting a hiring freeze so Scott can start a class of deputy recruits.
At issue is Scott's request to hire 20 deputies specifically for enforcement around the Hollywood Casino Columbus, which is scheduled to open Oct. 8, and the Scioto Downs "racino," already open on the city's South Side.
Both new gambling facilities are adjacent to township land that the sheriff patrols.
Scott said he had a verbal commitment to hire 20 "additional" deputies from Commissioners Paula Brooks and John O'Grady, but the county's Office of Management and Budget recommended that the commissioners approve 30 hires.
With commitments to supply deputies to the county's Job and Family Services agency and Prairie Township, and 46 vacancies in the corrections division, the sheriff said he can't sufficiently patrol the casino areas without leaving the county's two jails dangerously understaffed.
In a letter sent yesterday to the commissioners, Scott asked them to respond by 3 p.m. yesterday whether they back hiring the 30 deputies recommended by the county budget office, or 40 deputies so he can devote 20 to casino enforcement.
When the 3 p.m. deadline came and went, Scott sent a second note stating: "At this time I will let the media know that we will not be increasing additional crime preventative measures around the casino area due to inappropriate staffing levels, other than traffic control on a special duty basis."
O'Grady said yesterday that he never agreed to 20 additional deputies, but instead agreed to lift the hiring freeze in the sheriff's office so vacancies could be filled in anticipation of the casino opening.
The commissioners voted yesterday to spend more than $640,000 to buy 11 cruisers, mostly for casino-related patrolling, and to administer hiring the class of deputies.
"How (Scott) chooses to manage those resources is up to him," O'Grady said, adding that he found it interesting Scott decided not to police areas near the casino in advance of a meeting today to make jurisdictional decisions about casino enforcement.
Brooks, who has supported the sheriff's position, said yesterday that she thinks the county needs to hire deputies because of the casino.
"I absolutely do not want to see our community left in any less of a secure position," Brooks said.
Commissioner Marilyn Brown said yesterday that she did not get a chance to consider the sheriff's request before his deadline. She said that's not how county government works.
"This is not an emergency situation," she said, adding that the county is waiting on a management study of the sheriff's office that would address staffing issues.
@Josh_Jarman
Copyright 2012 - The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
