Jail issue a concern in Delaware County

To the editor:

The election is over and we settle into the routine of the decisions that were made.

I am fortunate to be a resident of Delaware County. We have a police force that has made awesome progress to control drug trafficking and the sheriff's department works endlessly to protect each and every one of us.

I was appalled when I toured the jail before the election. It was then that I learned that we fall short of meeting state regulations on several important issues.

Are we concerned about the safety of our officers and the amount of security they can provide? We can't turn our back and ignore the increase of violence in Delaware County. We do need to be able to address this problem. Our jail is not a fixable situation.

What will happen if the state is forced to close the Delaware County Jail because we cannot meet regulations? How much would it cost to transport and daily care in another county for a prisoner for their designated sentence? Transporting would also mean one less officer during the transport.

We all know that it takes money to make improvements, but we are a community that has proved we can accomplish what needs to be done. Let's take a second look at this important issue.

Wilma Hatch

Manchester