Township and county officials in Lake County recently met to discuss additional funding for sheriff’s deputies in the townships.
The meeting involved township officials, County Commissioner John Hamercheck and Sheriff Frank Leonbruno, noted a news release from the Lake County Township Association. The group considered how to meet township safety needs moving forward.
Concord Township Trustee and LCTA President Morgan McIntosh noted that the officials discussed funding for township patrols, as well as the financial responsibilities the townships and county will have.
“When we ultimately talk to our residents about law enforcement in the community we want to have an understanding of, we’re paying for this, but what is the county’s part of the obligation being funded,” he said.
Painesville Township Trustee Chuck Hillier said that township levies fund additional deputies. He said that the LCTA members were seeking an increase in county funding for sheriff’s deputies.
Both trustees cited increases in crime when discussing the desire for increased patrols, while McIntosh also noted an increase in township population.
“I thought it was a very productive meeting, I was pleasantly surprised with some of the constructive dialogue that we have and look forward to future conversations on that initiative. I think it’s important and I think the LCTA as well as the board of commissioners are on a path for some good things as far as shoring up those safety services,” said Concord Township Trustee Carl Dondorfer, a former captain in the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and the current Waite Hill Police chief.
“I think we came out of there with a pretty strong commitment that the commissioners are going to come through and find resources to put some more deputies on staff for the sheriff to be available in the townships,” Perry Township Trustee Rick Amos said.
“Everybody’s on the same page,” Hillier said. “We’re trying to do what’s best for Lake County as a whole, and in this particular case, we were very pleased that the township association took action, called for the meeting and things progressed as well as they did.
“It just goes to show the commitment with the townships and the county working together, and great things can happen.”
As previously reported by The News-Herald, the Lake County commissioners launched the COPS grant program in 2021 to match each new deputy funded by the townships. Under the program, Concord Township added one new deputy in 2021 with a second funded by the county for a four-year period.
Painesville Township and Perry Township each added two deputies in 2021 using American Rescue Plan Act funding, with two additional deputies per township funded by the county. Painesville Township’s agreement will last four years, while Perry Township’s will last two.
The COPS program grants allow for the county to match up to three additional deputies per township for up to a four-year period, as noted in previous reports.
While Madison Township officials were involved with the recent meeting, the news release noted that the township has had its own police department since 1966. McIntosh noted that they benefit from the mutual aid provided by the sheriff’s office, where deputies will respond to crime scenes in neighboring communities as needed.
He added that further discussions are expected.
“We had some very good dialogue and some initial conversations, and I’m optimistic that we’re going to be collaborating on this initiative and doing what’s best for the county and the townships,” Dondorfer said.
News-Herald reporter Bill Debus contributed to this article.