Douglas sheriff may be left short-handed by call ups

The echo of President Bush's war cry against Iraq has reached Douglas County law enforcement.

The call to activate about 150,000 reservists and National Guard members has stripped key employees from many U.S. companies and agencies, such as Douglas County Sheriff's Office, which has had to restructure its office and request more deputies.

In Carson City, sheriff and fire department officials say the reservists in their agencies either already have served their deployment time or have yet to be called up.

Douglas County sheriff's Lt. Mike Biaggini, investigations division commander, said his department of two sergeants and seven investigators, will share the caseload of a colleague who was activated by the National Guard on Jan. 30.

"Some cases are going to stay on the bottom of the pile for a little bit longer," Biaggini said. "I've picked up a case or two myself with the shortage." Investigators usually tackle about 20 cases each.

Biaggini, who handles administrative duties and offers direction to investigators, said crimes against people still take priority. The unit will have to contend with an increased workload until Biaggini makes his case to a division commander for a patrol officer to become an interim investigator. When a reservist returns home, federal law calls for the job left behind, or a similar one, must be waiting.

"The only place where you can get fill-ins is the patrol division," Biaggini said. "(But) they have their own problems to deal with."

The effect of losing a patrol sergeant called to duty in December has trickled down to the jail division where a young deputy usually starts, said Chief Deputy Bob Rudnick.

The department recently promoted a patrol officer to interim sergeant. The department hasn't filled the patrol spot, but help should be coming soon. Last week, the Douglas County Commission voted to add two deputies to backfill the empty slots. "Not only am I proud to secure this motion, but I want to congratulate those people in the military who are going over there," Commissioner Kelly Kite said. "These people have my respect and admiration."

Rudnick said a patrol officer will likely come from the jail division while the backfill positions will likely go to the jail. After a couple weeks of training, the officer would be ready to hit the streets.

"We don't want to get behind the curve here," Rudnick said.