Drastic budget cuts at LCSO possible

The Lane County Sheriff's Office and the Lane County Jail face further cuts if Congress does not renew the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Act.

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Story Published: Apr 17, 2008 at 6:05 PM PST

By Laura Rillos

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EUGENE, Ore. -- On the heels of last week's inmate releases, more cells at the Lane County Jail could be shut down.

That's just one of the major cuts to public safety that could occur if the Secure Rural Schools Act is not renewed.

Lane County has started preparing its doomsday, no renewal budget--and it's not pretty.

The details are scheduled to be released to the public next week, we received them early after an anonymous person sent internal memos to our newsroom.

We found out all programs are impacted--but the public safety cuts are dramatic.

The number of jail beds for local inmates awaiting trial would drop to 28.

Nearly 100 positions would be eliminated.

Two of four detectives would be reassigned.

"Basically the detectives will just have to triage the cases they get," said Sheriff Russel Burger. "And there will be cases that go uninvestigated."

Those detectives are responsible for investigating all violent crime in Lane County--robberies, rapes, assaults and murders.

If those criminals are caught--there won't be enough room to hold all of them in jail.

It's a dire situation but without that money, Lane County Administrator Jeff Spartz says it will be nearly impossible to fund the jail at its current level.

"Virtually for all practical purposes, we'd have no public health department, we'd have dramatically reduced social services," said Spartz. "We'd have to cut into several other major programs. This is achieving an ugly but rough balance."

So how did things get this bad? Spartz says taxpayers have no one to blame but themselves.

"A large segment of electorate have for years when propositions were put on the ballot have viewed it as Chicken Little screaming the sky is falling," said Spartz. "And it looks like the sky is almost down on us now."

And if that federal money is not renewed, what should Lane County residents do?

"Get a dog," said Sheriff Burger. "No. Just be aware of what's going on around you and be vigilant."

Again, none of these cuts are final. This is a worst-case scenario budget.

Budget worksessions begin May 1, and a final budget is due June 30.

Stay with KVAL News as we continue to follow this story.

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