ZIMMERMAN-The County Sheriffs' Department & the County Commissioners met Thursday afternoon to discuss issues regarding the sheriffs departments equipment problems and lack of personnel. Disagreements boiled over during the meeting when Sheriff Gus DiCesari accused the County Commissioners of shortchanging the county sheriffs department to save money. Sheriff DiCesari stated, " You're putting the lives of the people in Zimmerman at jeopardy." Dicesari feels that county should be spending more money on the sheriffs' department and law enforcement instead of on programs for migrant workers who come to the community to work, and believes problems throughout the community began when the county allowed migrant workers to come here to work. In reply, President Anne Chenn, of the Commissioners Office said, "the county does not have the money to buy new police cruisers and hire five new sheriff's deputies," and "the migrant workers who come here to work are decent, hardworking people being employed at jobs that local residents don't want to do." Of the 127 million budget the county received, its running short of funds due to the increased cost for health care for employees and higher fuel cost. The county also had to spend an estimated 30 million to build a new prison to alleviate overcrowding. Chenn told DiCesari that he will just have to make due this year with the budget cut, and suggested that the deputies not drive their cruisers home each day to avoid additional mileage and would make the cruisers available to on-duty deputies. DiCesari feels that by letting the deputies drive their cruisers home and parking them in their neighborhoods was a deterrent to crime. However, the commissioners office voted 5-2 against the sheriff's request for additional money for the new equipment and additional personnel.
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