Published: May 03, 2008 06:47 pm         

Positive step

Sherriff, commissioners to discuss overtime issue

Communication can go a long way to helping resolve a problem. That is why we are encouraged to see Sheriff David Goad and the Allegany County commissioners finally agreeing to resume discussion on the sheriff’s department overtime issue.

The two sides are scheduled to meet face-to-face in a public meeting on May 15. County Commissioner Dale Lewis vows that the meeting is not going to be a “war of words.” For his part, Goad said he hopes the commissioners will “sit down with me and give deep consideration to stuff that needs to be corrected.”

The “stuff” is the sheriff’s chronic overtime expenditures and his decision to eliminate the midnight-to-8 a.m. shift as a way of cutting expenses.

As we said in an editorial April 18, eliminating the night shift will hardly resolve the overtime issue. It is estimated that overtime and other expenses this year will cause a $258,000 overrun. Doing away with the late shift pares away only a fraction of that cost.

What is needed is a plan by both sides on how to get the overtime under control while not jeopardizing public safety. Not having a deputies out patrolling on the night shift leaves only the Maryland State Police to handle police matters in the county. We fear that it is only a matter of time before something tragic occurs because police resources are stretched too thin.

The conversation Goad and the commissioners will have on May 15 should have occurred months — even years — before this.

Nonetheless, it is never too late to correct a problem. The public is now waiting to see exactly what Goad and the county commissioners will do to straighten out this mess.