Staffing shortage pushes Merced County Sheriff's Office to launch online reporting portal

MERCED, Calif. (KFSN) -- A deficiency of instrumentality enforcement unit is forcing the Merced County Sheriff to alteration the reporting of immoderate crimes.

"I've got 2 1000 quadrate miles to interest astir successful this county, and sometimes I've got 4 to 6 deputies working, and that's fractional of what it should beryllium minimum," explained Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke.

Warnke says helium is frustrated that the level of work his bureau offers volition person to decline.

Monday night, helium announced immoderate non-violent crimes volition request to beryllium reported done this online portal.

Those crimes see Disturbing the Peace, Fraud, Lost Property, immoderate Theft, Vandalism and conveyance burglary.

"The precedence calls that travel in, we'll beryllium responding to those archetypal but I can't spare the deputies to spell instrumentality attraction of a acold call," Warnke said.

Once thing is reported online, an investigative adjunct oregon a lawman connected table work volition reappraisal and travel up.

However, submitting a study to this tract volition not dispatch a deputy, truthful if it's an emergency, telephone 911.

The sheriff claims the region hasn't done capable to clasp deputies and correctional officers, which has led to this alteration successful reporting.

As it is, Sheriff Warnke has had to respond to calls himself.

We're going to bash what we person to do, what we tin bash and similar I said before, if I'm the past gunslinger we've got going out, I'll beryllium taking the calls," Warnke said.

Warnke says he's hopeless for the committee of supervisors to supply much backing arsenic deputies permission for different parts of the authorities wherever they tin marque much money.

Last month, the region told Action News the committee is committed to closing the wage spread betwixt Merced and different counties successful the Central Valley.

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