By Cheryl Splain, KnoxPages.com Reporter
MOUNT VERNON — Sheriff David Shaffer told the county commissioners on Thursday that the Knox County Sheriff’s Office needs to upgrade its computer systems.
The last update to the fingerprinting/booking system was in 2010. The system operates on the now-obsolete Windows XP. He anticipates a cost of between $18,000 and $20,000, which will include some equipment as well as a new operating system.
Installed in 2008, the jail security system, which includes touch screens, electronic locks and cameras, has over 70,000 hours of continual use. The estimated cost for that upgrade is over $100,000. Shaffer said he received one estimate for $118,400, but it did not really cover what he is looking for. He is also still trying to replace the analog cameras; he estimates the cost of cameras and camera storage cost will be around $40,000.
Shaffer anticipates that computerized wrist bands will be operational the week of Oct. 4. Part of a computerized medical service, the wrist bands help verify the individual and also verify the medications he or she is taking. Wayne County is modeling the service now. Shaffer said that between the medical service and the booking process, he plans to have the KCSO mostly paperless by the end of the year.
Shaffer told the commissioners that the STAR program he is creating for Knox County should be complete by the end of the month. STAR is modeled after Licking County’s NARI program, Newark Addiction Recovery Initiative, which encourages addicts to turn over their drugs and paraphernalia in return for treatment and no legal consequences. He also said patrol and jail staff are being trained to administer NARCAN, a medication that reverses the effects of a drug overdose.
The jail population stands at 84: 72 males and 12 females.