A newly-released report highlighting where Cayuga County government could become more efficient and organized has shown the county is short-staffed and in need of upgrades.
Cayuga County Administrator J. Justin Woods gave county legislators his recommendations for what measures to move forward with from the report compiled by the Center for Governmental Research, a firm the county hired last year. Woods rated those items on a low, medium and high priority scale, at a special Legislature meeting Monday night. His top two priorities? Hire two new probation officers and commence the creation of a department of public works.
The probation department has long been understaffed, with officers currently handling about 100 cases each. Raise the Age, legislation that raises the age of criminal responsibility from 16 and 17 to 18, requires new supervision for those teens and that’s falling on probation departments. Probation director Jay DeWispelaere had told legislators in February that the number of juvenile delinquents his department may have to supervise could jump from about seven to 77.
The Citizen:
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