County Law Enforcement in Rural Illinois: Issues, Trends, and Emerging Strategies

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1 Spring 2002 Volume 13, Issue 1 County Law Enforcement in Rural Illinois: Issues, Trends, and Emerging Strategies by Robin A. Johnson, Robert K. Campbell, and Norman Walzer 1 The economic resurgence of the late 1990s improved the fortunes of many sheriff s departments across the state of Illinois. Record low unemployment and personal income growth increased county revenues and allowed sheriffs to access additional funds for law enforcement priorities. Improved economic and financial conditions provided most sheriffs with more resources for enhanced service delivery. Even so, sheriffs in rural Illinois, particularly those in remote counties, continue to face a variety of challenges that raise serious questions about the future effectiveness of their operations. A lack of sufficient resources has rural sheriffs more concerned about attracting and retaining personnel and maintaining current service levels than trying to add new programs. Continued population losses in the western and southern regions of the state portend continued financial stress for many rural counties. The recent economic downturn is negatively impacting the ability of many sheriff s departments in large counties to serve their areas and is further pressuring the operations of many rural sheriffs. This report examines the state of law enforcement in rural Illinois counties and explores some potential ways to continue existing levels of service for counties facing financial difficulties. Information used for this report is based on a 2000 questionnaire completed by 78 sheriffs in Illinois, which follows up on a similar survey and report made in 1995 (Fischer and Walzer 1995). Responses to this survey were fairly representative of the state by metropolitan status as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with 26 metro and 52 nonmetro counties responding. Of the nonmetro respondents, 24 are from adjacent counties and 28 from remote counties. Demographic and Financial Trends The national economic expansion in the 1990s certainly helped many rural areas in Illinois but, by most indices, the economic benefits in rural areas have not matched the growth in metro counties. In 2000, the population in nonmetro counties was 11.4 percent higher than in 1980, while rural counties lost 4.5 percent of their 1980 base. 2 During the 1990s, rural counties gained slightly, but nothing compared to the overall growth in the metro counties, especially in northeastern Illinois. Newly released census data reveal that regions in Illinois differ markedly in population changes. While Illinois gained population as a whole, many residents in rural counties continued an exodus that began in the 1980s. Thirty-four counties, mostly located in rural areas, lost population during the past decade. Many of the counties that lost population are located in the southeastern and western parts of the state. These areas have a high agricultural base, loss in farm employment due to consolidations, and decreases in capital expenditures for equipment contributed to the population declines observed. Illinois now has 14 counties with populations of less than 10,000 and two counties (Hardin and Pope) with fewer than 5,000 residents. 1 The authors are governmental relations and public policy consultant based in Monmouth, Illinois; training officer and investigator with District 3, Illinois Secretary of State Police; and director, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, respectively. This report is adapted from Illinois Sheriff s Departments: Trends and Concerns These numbers are based on the 74 nonmetro counties as defined by OMB in 1993 and do not include DeKalb and Ogle Counties, which switched from rural to metro. 1

2 Counties in the northeast, except for Cook, reported more than an 8.6 percent increase in population as did other metro counties, such as Woodford, McLean, and Menard. Several rural counties such as Brown, Bond, and Johnson, are included in this category because they contain sizeable institutional populations such as a correctional center (prisoners count as residents in the community in which they are incarcerated). Shifts in populations can also have an effect on the level of sheriffs services and may lead to reconsideration of supported priorities. Sheriffs were asked if the population shifts in their counties during the 1990s affected the level of services provided. This question, while based on the judgments of sheriffs rather than hard data, is still important because perceptions can drive decisions on resources and service levels. Most sheriffs statewide (58.4 percent) report that service levels were impacted by population shifts, an increase from 48.6 percent in Only about one-third of sheriffs in remote counties (32.1 percent) report this finding, confirming that sheriffs perceptions were close to reality since population increases during the 1990s occurred mostly in metro areas while most remote counties barely maintained or lost population (Table 1). Table 1. Perceived Impact of Population Changes on Sheriffs Budgets Since 1990, have population shifts affected the services that you must provide? Statewide Metro Adjacent Remote Yes No Source: IIRA, Survey of County Sheriffs, As sheriffs adapt the scope and level of services provided to meet the changes in population, budget priorities are shifted accordingly. Law enforcement services are among the most expensive provided by local governments, and public safety expenses are among the most rapidly increasing county expenditures (Office of the Comptroller 1997). Police services are labor intensive, require a fleet of vehicles, and involve specialized training for such things as the use of firearms and drug interdiction. Improved economic conditions during the late 1990s led to healthier finances in many counties. Nearly nine of 10 responding sheriffs (89.5 percent) said that their annual budgets had increased during the prior three years compared with 80.7 percent so reporting in Only five departments said their budgets declined in the preceding three years, and two of them are located in rural areas of southern Illinois. Sheriffs were also asked to rate the capacity of their current budgets to meet current needs. Nearly half of the sheriffs (44.9 percent) reported that their current budget was inadequate, but they had not yet been forced to reduce services. It could be that these sheriffs are deferring capital purchases of expensive items, such as vehicles, or are cutting back on training expenses in an effort to maintain existing staffing levels and current services. Onehalf of the sheriffs in remote counties report this finding. For other sheriffs, hard financial times have already arrived, and they are making or will make some difficult decisions. Two sheriffs (2.6 percent) said that their budget was currently inadequate and that they plan to terminate personnel or otherwise pare expenses. Four more (5.1 percent) reported they had already reduced personnel or trimmed services. Three of these six sheriffs are located in southern Illinois, and four are from remote counties. It would appear that budgets for some sheriffs, while currently adequate, are slowly deteriorating and will require difficult tradeoffs in the next three to four years. Clearly, some sheriffs are preparing for that eventuality. Nearly one-fifth (18.2 percent) said they expect to cut services in the next three years for budgetary reasons. Results do not differ greatly by region or location with one exception 35.7 percent of sheriffs in remote counties expect to reduce services. In fact, 10 of the 14 sheriffs predicting a cut of services (71.5 percent) are from remote counties. Sheriffs expecting financial shortfalls were asked a followup question on the amount of budget increase needed to meet departmental needs. All four of the sheriffs who are most in need of financial assistance are located in remote counties, and three of them are in southern Illinois. Emerging Issues The challenges facing rural sheriffs also provide opportunities for creativity and innovation in drafting solutions. Several issues were examined that have emerged as major concerns for sheriffs or are continuing problems that have spread throughout the state, affecting more rural sheriffs than previously (Table 2). 2

3 Table 2. Issues Increasing in Importance to Rural Sheriffs, Sheriffs in Rural Adjacent Counties Issue Percent Increase Gang activities Traffic accident calls Transporting prisoners 13.3 Farm equipment thefts 10.6 Senior citizen services 6.5 Drugs 3.7 Source: IIRA, Survey of County Sheriffs, In response, sheriffs developed initiatives and programs to address these challenges: Drugs. Illegal use of drugs continues as the issue of most concern to sheriffs. All sheriffs in the survey said drugs rated as a very important issue in their counties. The nature of drug crimes has changed as rural areas have experienced an increase in the use of methamphetamine or meth. Sheriffs in rural areas have responded by increasing training for meth lab cleanups and have formed task forces with other police agencies to combine their efforts. Senior citizen services. More sheriffs indicated that senior citizens issues are important in their communities in response to the rising number of elderly residents. Sheriffs began tailoring programs to meet the needs of seniors and formed partnerships with other government agencies and nonprofit groups to enhance the delivery of services. Many counties implemented Triad programs for the elderly that focus on crime prevention. Some counties created their own local senior citizen programs, while others used initiatives developed by the Illinois Sheriffs Association. Gangs. The number of sheriffs that rated gangs as a major concern nearly tripled from , increasing from 16.5 percent to 47.4 percent, the largest increase of any issue in the survey. Gang concerns have spread to suburban and rural areas, usually in conjunction with drug issues. In response, sheriffs are participating more in gang awareness programs, which are similar to drug education and prevention initiatives. Recruitment/retention. In spite of the economic slowdown in the past year, recruitment and retention of personnel will likely become more difficult in the future and be an issue of increasing importance. Competition from more lucrative private sector opportunities and the decreasing allure of police work are other reasons for the cop crunch. This problem is especially acute in rural areas where 40 percent of sheriffs reported that current pay levels are insufficient to attract qualified applicants. Financial limitations could force sheriffs and other law enforcement agencies to share personnel or explore other ways of sharing personnel. Community and school-based policing. Continuing the trend of the 1990s, more sheriffs are adopting community-based policing strategies to help prevent crime and to increase policing visibility in the community. Statewide, 55 sheriffs reported having community policing officers, and 50 have school resource officers. Senior citizen outreach programs are another example of community-based policing. Growth in community-based policing programs will continue as sheriffs take more proactive steps at crime prevention and build better relationships with citizens. Management Solutions for Better Rural Law Enforcement Several factors will continue to drive sheriffs to improve internal management practices. Financial limitations, demographic trends, and pressures for government efficiency force sheriffs to examine alternate strategies to provide vital services. Instead of looking to the county for additional funding, sheriffs will need to first examine internal operations for areas in which costs can be reduced or revenues increased. For example, sheriffs can conduct an internal audit of services to determine if there are functions for which fees can be charged or increased to cover the costs of service provision. More sheriffs are charging fees for housing inmates, for boarding inmates from other counties and governments, and for telephone usage by prisoners. In addition, several sheriffs have conducted fee studies for posting bond and serving civil process that have resulted in higher fees. Additional fee income can be dedicated to department expenses, which would lessen the pressure on property taxes as a funding source. A previous IIRA publication examined alternative methods of policing for small, rural communities to consider (Johnson 2000). The 2000 sheriff s survey explored potential ways for rural sheriffs to maintain existing service levels through innovative, alternate management strategies. 3

4 Consolidation/Regionalism. With so many local governments in Illinois offering similar services, there are ample opportunities for consolidation and reducing duplication of effort. Municipalities and counties both provide similar law enforcement services. Each entity has personnel, vehicles, facilities, and equipment. Proponents believe that consolidation can achieve cost savings in addition to eliminating overlap of services. Increased efficiency can also occur when adjacent or overlapping governing bodies consolidate service delivery. Few local governments in Illinois have merged operations, however. Green Rock and Colona became the first cities in the history of the state to consolidate when their residents voted to merge communities in There are many political obstacles to consolidation, especially the perceived loss of community identity. The survey listed four types of services that sheriffs could consolidate with other local governments. None of the services received a majority commitment of support for consolidation from the responding sheriffs. The service favored by sheriffs for consolidation most often is 911 communications systems (35.5 percent of respondents). 911 systems are becoming more expensive due to the cost of advanced telecommunications equipment. One reason many sheriffs favor consolidation of these services is that most departments already have cooperative agreements with other entities for dispatching services. Approximately three-fourths of sheriffs statewide (75.6 percent) dispatch for other law enforcement agencies, and 70.5 percent dispatch for area fire departments. Also, 67.9 percent report their departments provide dispatching for ambulance services, and 55.1 percent dispatch for emergency medical technicians (EMTs). The foundation is in place for expansion of similar cooperative ventures among sheriff s departments and other law enforcement and emergency services agencies. Sheriff s departments could also consolidate some services with municipalities within the county; however, only 29.2 percent of sheriffs said they favored such consolidation. We assume that the sheriffs would have operational control over a consolidated force since the county has the larger jurisdictional boundary; therefore, it was somewhat surprising that there wasn t more interest in the creation of a joint county/city police force. Even fewer sheriffs (17.8 percent) favor a consolidated county/city facility. Yet, this could be an attractive option for some because it stops short of consolidating services but combines departments in a single facility that could improve communications and planning. McDonough County and Macomb s public safety building is an example of a rural county and municipality that share public safety and jail facilities. Finally, 16.5 percent of the sheriffs favor a multicounty correctional facility. One such entity exists in rural southern Illinois and includes Union, Pulaski, and Alexander Counties. The most formidable obstacle to such a facility is again the control issue in which county would the facility be placed? The southern Illinois counties have shown agreement can be achieved and offer a model for such future cooperative efforts. Intergovernmental Contracting. While consolidation is politically difficult to achieve, contracting for services and service sharing are two options available to local governments for achieving increased efficiency and savings of tax dollars. One of the more common ways for sheriffs to provide services is to contract with small communities for patrol services. Contrary to popular perception, county sheriffs are not required to provide patrols, although many do. Some sheriffs have the necessary staff and resources to provide patrols in rural areas on a consistent basis, but others may not be able to offer similar levels of service. In fact, sheriffs report that the largest share of their departments time (32.2 percent) is spent on patrolling rural roads and unincorporated areas. Another 10.7 percent of the departments time is used for patrolling small communities in the county. Statewide, 37.2 percent of sheriffs contract with small communities for protective services. This figure is roughly the same as the number of sheriffs (39.3 percent) that contracted in Only 25 percent of remote counties and 20.8 percent of counties in the southern region of the state contract with small communities, probably because of financial limitations that force sheriffs to reduce non-core services. There are two main types of protective services counties offer to small communities night patrols and investigative assistance. Services provided to small towns can vary with the resources available to both the contracting community and the county. This can be seen by the number of sheriffs (76.8 percent) reporting that the range of services increased during the 1990s compared with the number that increased in the 1980s (35.6 percent). One key issue involved in developing an intergovernmental agreement is determining the cost for providing a service. If the fee charged to small towns does not cover the costs, the county is required to subsidize the service. Only one-third of responding sheriffs (33.3 percent) said the fees charged to small towns fully covered the cost of providing service. Nearly two-thirds of sheriffs (61.5 percent) report that fees do not cover costs, and two sheriffs (5.1 percent) did not know. More sheriffs in northern Illinois (50.0 percent) and metro counties (45.0 percent) report that fees fully covered the cost of services. This could be because larger counties have more staff who have the skills and responsibility of determining actual costs for services provided. In order to ensure that fees charged cover the full cost of contracted services, sheriffs should evaluate fee for service agreements on an ongoing basis. Nearly three-fourths of 4

5 responding sheriffs (73.2 percent) said they evaluated the cost of providing contracted services during the previous three years. Results varied with metro status sheriffs in metro counties were more likely to have reviewed costs than sheriffs in remote counties. Still, nearly two-thirds of sheriffs in remote, rural counties (63.6 percent) evaluated costs, a sign that most sheriffs in all parts of the state pay close attention to the bottom line on contracting agreements. In response to a question on the survey asking sheriffs to rate the effectiveness of contracts with small communities, most respondents (38.5 percent) believe they are profitable and beneficial to the sheriff s department. Conversely, 10.3 percent of the responding sheriffs said that contracts with small communities were very time consuming and not beneficial from the sheriff s standpoint. None of the sheriffs from northern and metro counties reported this finding, while one-third of southern Illinois sheriffs (33.3 percent) and 30 percent of sheriffs in remote counties had negative opinions of contracts with small communities. It is likely that the reasons relate to fees not fully covering the cost of services. Since these counties tend to be less financially secure, sheriffs may feel that deputies need to be performing high-priority tasks instead of patrols, especially if they lose money on providing such services. Approximately one-fourth of sheriffs (25.6 percent) said that they were uncertain or did not know about the effectiveness of services contracted with small cities. This finding was more prevalent in southern Illinois counties (66.7 percent) and remote counties (40.0 percent) probably because of a lack of effective oversight of contracts. According to the survey, sheriffs want an increased patrol presence in their counties but are apparently limited by financial factors. In response to a hypothetical question asking them what they would use additional funding from the Illinois Department for Law Enforcement allocation for, most sheriffs (68.4 percent) listed increased patrol presence as the top priority. Sheriffs in rural counties reported this priority more often, with 70.8 percent from adjacent counties and 85.7 percent from remote counties indicating a preference for a greater patrol presence (Table 3). Table 3. Priorities for Additional Funding If additional funding were available to the Illinois Department of Law Enforcement, would you prefer that the funds be allocated for... Function Statewide Metro Adjacent Remote Increased patrol presence Crime scene assistance Increased training programs Expanded/improved crime scene lab facilities Increased traffic investigation capabilities Source: IIRA, Survey of County Sheriffs, Advanced Technology. One of the greatest challenges facing sheriffs in the new millennium is incorporating technological advances into service delivery systems. Rapid changes in telecommunications, computerization, and the Internet have had profound impacts on how sheriffs provide services to residents and how they continue to adapt technological developments to enhanced service delivery. Sheriffs need an awareness of the potential benefits of technology and opportunities to effectively utilize technological innovations for the betterment of their communities in the following areas: Communications. New technologies with expensive price tags are forcing counties to consider cooperative arrangements for acquiring and maintaining communications systems. Only 10.3 percent of sheriffs report that they have county communications systems that do not include other agencies. More sheriffs in remote counties (17.9 percent) have their own systems probably because they are located far from potential partners. In addition, 6.4 percent of sheriffs reported that dispatching is performed by another law enforcement agency. Nearly three-fourths of sheriffs (73.7 percent) said they provide staffing for their communications centers. More rural sheriffs provide staffing than metro counterparts. This could be because metro counties more often operate 911 agencies with their own funding sources and hire staff directly. Rural counties are more often involved in multi-agency arrangements, with and without 911 boards, and must provide some staff support. Computers and the Internet. A solid majority of sheriffs (57.1 percent) say they use mainframe computers, and 2.6 plan to add mainframe computers within the next three years. This figure is an increase from the 33.7 percent of sheriffs that used mainframes in Use of mainframes is much more common in metro counties (72.0 percent) than remote counties (35.7 percent). Most sheriffs (89.6 percent) use personal computers, a slight increase from 84.1 percent five years ago. PCs are less expensive and have become more powerful every year. All metro counties use PCs, and 75.0 percent of remote counties do so. The sheriffs that do not use PCs are in the southern and western regions of the state, indicating that perhaps financial considerations limit their ability to buy PCs. An innovative use of computers involves placing specialized units in police vehicles to help deputies access important information more quickly. The use 5

6 of car-based computers more than tripled since 1995, increasing from 8.2 percent of sheriffs to 28.6 percent. Because of the cost of car-based computers and the need to purchase this equipment for all vehicles at once to achieve maximum efficiency, usage has been limited to metro counties (60.0 percent), with only one sheriff s department in a remote county having access. An additional 12 sheriffs (15.6 percent) plan to deploy car-based computers within the next three years, bringing the statewide percentage of sheriffs using these systems to nearly half; however, only one sheriff from the remote counties plans to purchase car-based computers soon. Finally, many sheriffs (69.3 percent) use the Internet as an information resource. Seven sheriffs plan to add Internet access in the next three years, bringing the statewide total to nearly 80 percent of sheriffs. Internet access is rarest in southern Illinois counties (43.5 percent), although a majority of remote counties (55.6 percent) have it. In-car video cameras. Another technology that has been adapted for law enforcement is the use of video cameras in squad cars. Cameras can help ensure that deputies follow proper procedures when questioning suspects and arresting individuals. They also can be helpful for liability purposes if a defendant claims mistreatment by a deputy. Nearly one-half of sheriffs (48.1 percent) said they adopted the use of this technology in the previous four years, an increase from 39.8 percent in Use varies by size of county, with 72.0 percent of metro counties using in-car video cameras and only 21.4 percent of remote counties. Summary Sheriffs in rural Illinois face an uncertain future. Citizens are demanding new and different types of services, and changing demographics, different crime patterns, and innovations in technology are impacting the services needed and provided by sheriff s departments. Demands for new services occur simultaneously with pressures to maintain existing services such as jail operations, patrols, investigations, and other key functions. In the rural areas of the southern and western regions of Illinois, continued population declines and economic and financial deterioration will pose some difficult choices in the future. More consolidation, contracting, service sharing, and other cooperative efforts will be needed to maintain service levels. Even sheriffs in some large, prosperous counties will face increased demands for services and rising costs for providing those services. Of course, if the economy continues to slide, all sheriffs will face difficult choices. The survey results demonstrate that most sheriffs are wellequipped to face these challenges. Most sheriffs management skills have improved, more are technologically savvy, and many are quick to adapt innovative ideas to their local needs. The years ahead will no doubt offer new challenges, further testing the capacity of sheriff s departments to provide costeffective services and to craft innovative solutions. References Fischer, Robert, and Norman Walzer Illinois sheriffs departments: Trends and concerns. Macomb: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. Johnson, Robin A Small town policing in the new millennium: Strategies, options, and alternate methods. Macomb: Illinois Law Enforcement Executive Institute and Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. Johnson, Robin A., Robert K. Campbell, and Norman Walzer Illinois sheriff s departments: Trends and concerns. Macomb: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs. Office of the Comptroller Local government finance series: Springfield, IL: Office of the Comptroller. The Rural Research Report is a series published by the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs to provide brief updates on research projects conducted by the Institute. Rural Research Reports are peer-reviewed and distributed to public officials, libraries, and professional associations involved with specific policy issues. Printed on recycled paper