The Oconto County Jail has seen a dramatic decrease in corrections officers’ overtime over the past seven years, Sheriff Todd Skarban reported to the county board during its annual meeting April 15.
In 2018, the jail reported 632 12-hour overtime shifts, and it was still at 467 OT shifts in 2019 when the department started to focus more attention on the issue, Skarban said.
They got it down to 151 in 2022, 142 in 2022, 132 in 2023 and 131 in 2024, and it appears they will level out around 130 per year, he said.
“Why would you guys care? Well, if you go back to the 2018 numbers, that’s $303,360 in overtime expenses,” Skarban said. “Now, if you look at today, you’re at $62,880, a difference of $240,480 – that’s only 2018. So ’19 there was a savings, ’20 there was a savings, ’21, ’22 — what we’re saving in money is what I’m saying.”
There’s also an advantage in human terms when the overtime numbers are reduced, the sheriff said.
“People aren’t coming to work every single day of their life. They’re actually able to take the time off when they need it, and they get a little rest,” Skarban said. “So they come in with some good energy to serve the people and to help make sure that we can provide appropriate care for our inmate population.”
The numbers came during Skarban’s annual report, one of several reports the board heard at its annual meeting. Among other highlights in 2024:
• The county saw “arguably one of the safest on record,” with violent crime and traffic fatalities down significantly.
• The new substation in the Town of Riverview opened, improving the department’s ability to serve the northern part of the county.
• Two new K-9 officers are about to join the force, with the retirements of Turbo and Raven.
• For the fifth time in the last six years, the jail got a perfect rating during its annual state inspection.
wbluhm@newmedia-wi.com
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