Members of the Marshall County Council gave Sheriff Matt Hassel permission to apply for a grant from the DNR for Marine Patrol.
Hassel said he is requesting $20,000. The funds will provide police patrol on Lake Max during the summer boating season. He said they typically spend about $60,000 and the Lake Association covers the additional costs.
Hassel told the County Council he filled out a job classification review form and submitted it to H.R. for the bookkeeper. He wants to meet with the personnel committee to explain his request. The Sheriff said, “A year and a half ago the Indiana State Police Indiana Data & Communications System went to every department and said you must have an assistant IDACS (IN Date & Communication System) Coordinator now.” This position requires specialized training and then they will oversee all the operators who are using the IDACS system to make sure they are following all procedures and policies.
Sheriff Hassel also asked the County Council to consider an ordinance amendment the current charge for audio and visual information. Currently the county can charge $25 per request but state statute allows up to $150 per request.
The sheriff said they are seeing an increase in demand for electronic copies for court cases. The request use to be photos taken at a scene. Now they want copies of radio calls, phone calls, car camera video, drone footage and dispatch details. He asked the council to consider $25 an hour up to a maximum of $150.
Councilman Heath Thornton said the requests are weekly and if it involved a fatality could take up to 6 hours. He said the average is 2 to 3 hours.
Councilman Jim Masterson said, “It sounds like you’ve been too cheap for a long time.”
Sheriff Hassel said, “Its public record so we have to put it together for them. Sometime we have to redact some of the information that is not public record, or allowed to be released to the public.”
The County Council was supportive of the increase and will have the County Attorney amend the ordinance for their consideration.
