There are fewer than 20 officers patrolling Iron County.
IRON COUNTY -- When the city of Crystal Falls laid off police officers in the middle of February, the job of law enforcement in Iron County got that much harder.
Thanks to cuts, today there are fewer than 20 officers, deputies, and troopers patrolling the 1100 square miles of Iron County.
"We have cities that have traditionally had their own police departments being reduced, and some of that responsibility is falling on us,” said Iron County Sheriff Mark Valesano. “You can just see what's happening here; we're getting spread thinner and thinner."
The state police post in Iron River is also feeling the pinch. The department has seen its numbers cut in half since 2000 which has made things difficult for Post Commander Chris Shoelander.
"Over the last 10 years, we've gone from 10 troopers on the road down to today, five,” said Shoelander. “So it makes it a challenge for each of us and we're looking forward to just doing the best we can with what we have."
With fewer officers, all law enforcement in the county has been working closer together in order to be as efficient as possible. Even though the numbers are down, the state police and sheriff's department say they have been able to make it work.
"The sheriff's office will do the very best that we can to help with public safety in the communities,” Valesano said. “But we are limited to the resources we have here."
Shoelander and Valesano said they are impressed with how their departments have responded despite all the cuts. They're hoping to get some help from the state in the near future, however, Shoelander told us he is cautiously optimistic.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC