Pubdate: Thu, 30 Oct 2003 Source: Watertown Daily Times (NY) Copyright: 2003 Watertown Daily Times Contact: http://www.wdt.net Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/792 Author: Drew Mangione, Times Staff Writer Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) SHERIFF ANGRY AT CUTS TO HIS DEPARTMENT IN '04 BUDGET PROPOSAL Sheriff John P. Burns is upset with the cuts made to his department as part of the proposed 2004 Jefferson County budget. He asked for two more deputies - one for road patrol and one detective - - but instead lost a deputy position, which had been vacated a few weeks ago by a new hire who decided she didn't want to be a deputy. " I'm not happy," the first term sheriff said. " In 1983, we had 18 road patrol deputies and we were just getting back up to that. When we get to 18 we can start talking about 12-hour shifts to cut over time." Mr. Burns said that if the position in not reinstated, He'll have to pull a deputy from the county's specialized programs such as the Metro-Jeff Drug Task Force or the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. "If you don't have basic law enforcement, who's going to come here and where's the quality of life going to go?" the sheriff said. "Around here I think DARE is a help. I know nationally they say it's not, but around here I think it has a positive effect." - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin