CLAREMORE, Okla. — Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton says his office needs more deputies after four deputies and one investigator were put on administrative leave after firing their service weapons during a standoff with a man last week.
Law enforcement shot and killed a man while responding to a call on Nov. 9 in Catoosa where OSBI says a man shot a nail gun at deputies before they shot and killed him. Walton says the resulting investigation led to him having to pull deputies out of their regular roles to patrol the county.
“Never in our deepest fears would we think that in one day that we would lose 25 percent of our workforce in patrol,” Walton said.
Now, fewer than 20 patrol deputies are left to watch the county which consists of 90,000 people in 711 square miles. Walton says if the sheriff’s office had a larger budget, he’d be able to hire more deputies, so the county is still covered during instances like this.
“What happens when this happens is, leaves get canceled, training gets canceled, we pull people out of administrative roles. We pulled our jail administrator from his duties in the jail," Walton said.
Locals weighed in on the idea of providing more funding for the sheriff's office.
Tommy Skaggs says he agrees more deputies is a good idea.
“I mean with duties that police officers have to do, they need as big of a force as they can get,” Skaggs said.
Jacqueline McKinney says she would rather see more extensive training than more deputies.
“If they are going to make a change, I feel like the quality of officer means a lot more to us than the quantity," McKinney said.
Walton says not only are the deputies needed but so is equipment.
"If you hire today, a deputy who comes on, we should hand you a patrol rifle, a shotgun, a pistol, shield, a vest and a good car that’s safe to drive. And we can't do that."
Rogers County responded with the following statement:
The Rogers County operating budget for fiscal year 2022-2023 has already been approved with no plans to amend. Each year the Rogers County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) attempt to fully support each department's request but are bound by budget constraints.
The Commissioners supports all aspects of public safety, including roads and bridges which are primarily funded from the one-penny sales tax –– separate of the general fund. One of their responsibilities as commissioners is to balance the county's budget, which is the chief operating fund.
The Commissioners meet with department heads earlier each year to determine ‘Estimate of Needs.’ Subsequent meetings to balance the budget occur up until it is presented to the Excise Board for final approval.
Commissioners adopt a balanced, lawful budget each year which has been established by Oklahoma Statute and prescribed by the State Auditor and Inspector. The BOCC has no authority over how each department or elected official spends allocated funds.
Rogers County's budget can be found on our website at the bottom (click on the coins icon) by visiting www.rogerscounty.org.
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