By Brett Nachtigall

Publisher

HOT SPRINGS – At last Thursday’s bi-monthly meeting of the Fall River County Commission, recently sworn-in Sheriff Lyle Norton gave the commissioners an update which included a request by Oglala Lakota County to begin having Fall River County contract for dispatch services.

Sheriff Norton said that he didn’t feel the volume of calls from Oglala Lakota would overwhelm the current staff of Fall River County dispatchers and thus was asking the commissioners if he should continue discussion about the topic and then come back to the commission with a more finalized proposal.

Sheriff Norton added, that in looking at the current dispatch contract with the City of Hot Springs, he felt it would be a good idea to update that contract as well. According to the date listed on that document, the contract hadn’t been updated since 2004, when the price was set at $55,000 per year.

The commissioners agreed that it would be a good idea to update that contract, which may include new pricing, while also coming to a pricing arrangement to add Oglala Lakota County as well.

While at the microphone, Sheriff Norton also brought up the idea of cross-deputizing all City of Hot Springs police officers, which would make their assistance when needed a little easier for all parties involved. He said that city officers already help out when called up for back-up or reinforcement, but there is oftentimes questions by the public about their jurisdiction. Having them cross-deputized would resolve those concerns, Norton said.

Currently, city officers are able to patrol one mile outside the city limits, but their deputization outside of those boundaries would only come into play when their services are requested by the Sheriff’s Department, strictly for back-up or reinforcement, Sheriff Norton said.

The commissioners gave the Sheriff their full support to proceed with the idea.