Sheriffs department feeling the pinch of budget cuts

   A 5-2 vote by the county commissioners at a meeting Thursday afternoon denied a substantial funding request by the Isanti County sheriffs department. Sheriff Gus DiCesari said the money would've been used to replace an aging fleet of cruisers as well as to put more officers on the street and that if something isn't done to remedy the situation he fears something bad is going to happen.

   DiCesari feels the sheriffs department is being “shortchanged” by the Isanti County commissioners office. He voiced this opinion at a Thursday afternoon meeting, and said he believes the budget cuts are a serious threat to public safety. “You're putting the lives of the people of this county in jeopardy,” DiCesary said when referring to the lack of funding for the Isanti County sheriffs department to purchase new cruisers and hire new officers. “It is getting too costly to maintain the older vehicles,” he said, citing that eight of the departments cruisers have over 150,000 miles on them and they are oftentimes unavailable for use because they are being repaired. He brought to the attention of the commissioners that in his 27 years as sheriff, this is the first time the county hasn't allocated funds to the department for the purchase of new equipment.

   Commission members Anita Shenuski and Raymond Laybourne supported DiCesary in his request for more funding. Shenuski and Laybourne said during the meeting that county funds would be better spent on the sheriffs department than on programs assisting migrant workers, approximately 5,000 families total, who come to the county in search of work. “We never had problems until we began letting migrants come to this county and work. They are a problem for our law enforcement, our schools and our healthcare system. They take away jobs from decent people and work for next to nothing, and if something gets stolen, you can bet it is one of them that's taken it. We need to protect local residents from them.” Shenuski said during a heated argument with commission president Anne Chen.

   Chen stated that increasing fuel prices along with rising healthcare costs for county employees are to blame for the budget shortcomings, not immigrant workers. “Those people who come to work here are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local residents don't want to do. They add a great deal to the local economy and they pay taxes.” She then stated that it would be hypocritical to blame migrant workers for the financial problems of the county, a sentiment supported by commissioner Jose Gardez who stated that many of the migrant workers become permanent members of the community, opening businesses and eventually earning citizenship.

   Of the counties $127 million budget, $30 million was allocated to the building of a new prison facility to alleviate overcrowding. Chenn said the department would have to make do this year without the requested $580,000 that would've been used to replace eight cruisers and hire five new officers. She suggested the practice of letting officers drive the cruisers home should be stopped, thus preserving mileage on county vehicles as well as making more cars available for official use. DiCesari responded by stating that the marked cruisers in their neighborhoods was a strong deterrent for crime.