Sheriff requests help with growing workload

    Some big decisions lie ahead for Chase County Commissioners Jacci Brown, Dennis Kunnemann and Chuck Vette.
    The board was able to cross one off its list at the Dec. 9 meeting after discussions with Chase County Sheriff Kevin Mueller.
    Mueller is looking for an extra set of hands to ease the workload facing the Sheriff’s Office.
    Mueller said it will take two years for the upcoming Swanson murder cases to be resolved. In the meantime, the county will be transporting the prisoners back and forth between North Platte and Chase County. Depending on the prisoner, each transport will take at least two deputies or a deputy and a matron. Deputies on hand for court security also add to the total.
    Furnas County is willing to send deputies to help and Mueller plans on using Chase County jailers, as well.
    His office is also busy “picking up the slack” from two Nebraska State Patrolmen no longer working in the area.
    With the office’s caseload increasing, Mueller is looking for someone to be proactive in the county regarding the county’s increasing drug problem.
    Former Chase County deputy Mike Dukes is interested in returning. Mueller said Dukes has extra benefit because he will live in Wauneta and help keep an eye on that part of the county.
    Mueller is hopeful he can rearrange his budget to cover the cost, but said he may be back to ask for funds.
    Discussion moved on to the agenda for the Dec. 9 Imperial city council meeting.
    The board expected the city to discuss the jail/dispatch contract presented to them by the county, and it was.
    Council members voted 4-0 last week to pay the $35,000 annual dispatch fee the county requested, but did so on a separate contract that did not include jail contract details.
    Mayor Dwight Coleman said the two are separate issues.
    “But it doesn’t make sense to me to do one and not the other because then you don’t resolve the issue,” Mueller said. “I really don’t think it’s to the county’s benefit to let them dictate what the county does. And it doesn’t resolve the issue by not having a contract.”

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