Bristol County Sheriff Details $3M Shift Away From Non-Jail Programs

DARTMOUTH (WBSM) — Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux said that he has cut nearly $3 million in non-jail positions since becoming sheriff in January 2023, with the money being put back into jail operations.

Why Sheriff Heroux Targeted Non-Jail Programs

“After arriving at the jail in January 2023, my assessment was that jail operations needed to be a higher priority than non-jail operations. The jail also had many unmet needs,” Heroux said in a release.

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“Meanwhile, it was and has been my opinion that many of the non-correctional operations were programs and services that should be delivered by other non-correctional public organizations,” he said. “By eliminating positions that did not have anything to do with corrections, more money would be available to address needs including improving inmate services and offering (corrections officers) stipends who fill volunteer roles beyond their normal duties.”

Heroux said that while some non-jail operations were just cut, other savings came from not filling or merging redundant positions.

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Programs Eliminated by the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office

Non-correctional programs eliminated from the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office over the past three years include:

• COVID Dog, Bomb Detection Dog, and Comfort Dog: “These are important services but beyond the scope of corrections,” Heroux said. “We now only have drug detection dogs.”
• Full-time BCSO Community Work Crew: “This still is in operation but was restructured, eliminating two full-time positions,” he said.
• Homeland Security Program: “This was a program to teach high school students emergency preparedness. It also worked to provide open source informational updates to local police departments. It is important, but beyond the scope of corrections,” Heroux said.
• Project Lifesaver: “This program, serving 45 people, was moved to a local police department,” Heroux said. “Additionally, I recommend that people who use this service consider getting a privately-owned GPS locator that uses cellular technology; Project Lifesaver uses a radar-based technology from the 1980s, effective but not as good as what is commercially available today. It is important, but beyond the scope of corrections.”
• RUOK Program: “This program, serving 130 people, was moved to several Council on Aging departments throughout Bristol County, which is where it properly belonged. It is important but beyond the scope of corrections,” Heroux said.
• Task Force: “We had four staff assigned to do work for the DEA, State Police/DA, and two local police departments. We were subsidizing their operations with our staff and budget. The work was important but beyond the scope of corrections,” he said.
• True Course: “This was a program designed to help at-risk youth, and train inmate parents effective child rearing skills,” Heroux said. “This was partially federally funded and state funded. Because federal funding was no longer available, the program ended.”

Positions Cut and Salaries Reallocated

Heroux also included a list of positions that were cut as those units were eliminated, and other positions cut from units that are still active.

• Administrative Assistant SAMs, $79,038
• Assistant Counsel, $65,233
• Captain Homeland Security, $96,826
• Captain Task Force, $86,389
• Captain Task Force, $94,927
• Civil Process Deputy, $65,233
• Colonel Homeland Security, $72,000
• Comfort Dog Officer, $70,479
• Coordinator of Finance, $89,549
• Deputy Sheriff (commissioned position paid by a third party)
• Director of Community Work, $79,038
• DPW Work Crew, $152,465
• Explosive Dog Officer, $75,765
• Legislative Aide, $82,594
• Lieutenant Task Force, $74,296
• Lieutenant Task Force, $82,594
• Manager of Public Programs, $85,556
• Manager of Public Safety Education, $59,337
• Project Lifesaver, $70,049
• Public Information Officer, $92,234
• RUOK Facilitator, $49,367
• Sergeant Task Force, $71,261
• Support Services Assistant, $36,733
• True Course Program, $221,557

Vacant Positions That Will Remain Unfilled

The sheriff also said 12 vacated positions will remain unfilled:

• Assistant Deputy Superintendent Communications/Transportation, $127,324
• Assistant Superintendent Inmate Calculation, $126,681
• Assistant Superintendent Operation Development, $89,219
• Assistant to Major (Ash Street Jail), $71,236
• Captain assigned to Civil Process, $79,038
• Captain assigned to Classification, $91,192
• Captain assigned to D-Boards, $104,820
• Captain assigned to Work Crew, $85,545
• Law Enforcement Administrative Assistant, $49,320
• Major (Civil Process), $96,401
• Project Inventory Control Manager, $88,935
• Volunteer and Grievance Coordinator, $80,381

READ MORE: Ash Street Jail Closure Could Cost $10 Million

“This does not mean that the BCSO saved $3 million or created a $3 million surplus,” Heroux noted. “The money previously spent on these aforementioned mostly non-correctional positions was used to pay for correctional positions, including but not limited to various casework positions and pay for stipends for corrections officers who volunteer for SRT, Stress Unit, and other non-required correctional support functions.”

Heroux said the BCSO’s expenses are about $72 million per year.