Safety and security sparked a discussion at the budget meeting in Tioga County yesterday afternoon. There are currently four vacant deputy positions in the Tioga
County sheriff’s office. Sheriff Howard and Undersheriff Jackson said they believe these positions need to be filled. Both said that at this time, they only have a small pool of laborers and as burdens expand, so do problems monitoring security. Opinions were divided among the room regarding the possibility of filling the vacancies. However, two of the four vacant deputy positions were awarded by the meeting’s end. Starting in 2015, two of these spots will be filled in order to maintain the county’s safety. There are three possibilities. The first involves the Village of Owego, which has depleted its man power. The second involves Tioga Downs asking for an increase in security during big events. The last is monitoring the Newark Valley area.
