Ore. county gives up round-the-clock deputy patrol

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. (AP) — Lane County Sheriff Tom Turner says he’s cutting back patrol coverage to 20 hours a day.

But just to keep the bad guys guessing, he says, he’ll vary which four hours a day deputies aren’t available.

The Eugene Register-Guard reports that Turner’s move is a response to budget cuts. The new schedule went into effect last week.

Turner says that in emergencies, such as urgent calls to 911, he’ll call in deputies on overtime.

If overtime pay means the new arrangement isn’t cost-effective, he says, he’ll reassess it.

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Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com