JACKSONVILLE — The Onslow County sheriff is requesting an additional $2 million from county commissioners as they prepare to approve the budget for next year.
Sheriff Hans Miller says he needs the money to add 24 new deputy positions. Ten of those deputies would be correctional officers at the Onslow County Jail. The jail currently houses about 285 inmates, and on a regular shift, there will be about 20 deputies there to supervise them all.
Miller said it's just not enough manpower.
"The people that are in our jail are inmates, but they're still citizens and they need to be protected, from each other and also sometimes from themselves," he said.
In fact, the deputies are spread so thin, Miller said they can't use two of their cell blocks because they don't have enough people to supervise that many areas.
"Because of the way the building was built, it does require additional manpower," Miller said.
The 10 additional officers would come at a cost of about $500,000 per year.
"We have to protect the county from any kind of allegations that we're not providing the supervision that we need," Miller said.
The need for more manpower goes beyond the jail, and onto the streets. The sheriff is requesting 14 deputies to work out in the county.
"The population of the county, of Onslow County, has increased significantly...and we have to grow with the county," Miller said.
The 14 additional deputies would cost taxpayers about $1.5 million per year.
"I think it would be a good idea as long as the community is safer, our children coming in out of school are safer, and as long as we that our taxpayer dollars is going to good, I think it's a really good idea," said Michael Pettinato, an Onslow County resident.
There will be a public hearing regarding the Onslow County budget and the sheriff's requests on June 15 at 7 p.m. at the Onslow County government center.