The workload of deputies at the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is coming under scrutiny as the county pinches pennies to balance its budget.

For years Sheriff Paul Pastor has said his department is overworked and understaffed. But a new report by the County Council’s performance audit staff suggests staffing and workload at the department are comparable to other departments in Western Washington and within the county.

Councilman Shawn Bunney, R-Lake Tapps, acknowledged the Sheriff’s Department needs more resources. But at a time when the county is strapped for cash, he said it must ensure money is spent wisely.

“We need to update how we look at law enforcement funding levels based on performance,” Bunney said.

Pastor said he’s trying to be a good steward of taxpayer resources but contends the department still needs more deputies.

“I believe we are not as well-resourced as we need to be,” the sheriff said. “That still means we should work very hard to do everything we can with every increment of resources we’re given.”

The performance audit report relies on budget, crime rate and other data to analyze staffing and workload in the sheriff’s department. Key findings include:

 • Staffing in the department more than kept pace with workload increases from 2004 to 2008.

The number of deputies has grown at a faster rate than the number of the most serious crimes and calls for service, the report found. Average response times have remained steady. And the sheriff’s department has received a growing proportion of the county’s general fund budget.

 • Pierce County sheriff’s staffing and workload are similar to those of other county and city law enforcement agencies.

The number of commissioned officers per 1,000 residents at the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department is consistent with other Western Washington counties, the report found.

The county has fewer sworn officers per 1,000 residents than the cities of Tacoma, Lakewood and Puyallup; however, the county has a much lower rate of the most serious crimes than those jurisdictions.

 • The report recommends a detailed workload analysis of the sheriff’s department next year.

The report comes with plenty of caveats. While the number of the most serious calls for service per deputy has declined somewhat in recent years, the mix of crimes may have changed, resulting in a different workload for deputies. And while quicker response times can be a good goal, they can also come at the expense of officer safety and investigation quality.

These and other caveats highlight the report’s main conclusion: More detailed performance measures are needed to better assess department staffing, workload and efficiency.

The report comes as the county cuts spending to make up for declining revenue.

The council has already cut sheriff’s department funding nearly $2 million – or 3.2 percent – this year. But other departments have seen a bigger portion of their budgets cut, and Bunney said the council has tried to protect law enforcement because it’s a top priority.

But he said the council also wants accountability for the money spent on law enforcement.

“I don’t think we’ve even scratched the surface of the various ways we need to measure law enforcement to get results people expect,” Bunney said.

Pastor said he’s working on new performance measures as he prepares next year’s budget. He said his department is trying to “do all that we can do with every bit of resources we have.”

But Pastor said the report misses the real problem: His department remains understaffed.

Pastor cited a 2001 performance audit that recommended the department hire 58 additional deputies to boost its patrol operations. By his thinking, though staffing has kept pace with rising demand in recent years, the original “deficit” of deputies remains.

“The bottom line on this is a question: Don’t the people of this county deserve more?” Pastor said.

The council plans to contract with a firm with law enforcement expertise to conduct a more detailed staffing and workload analysis of the sheriff’s department next year.

David Wickert: 253-274-7341

david.wickert@thenewstribune.com

blogs.thenewstribune.com/politics

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Comparing sheriff’s departments

The chart compares 2008 staffing and crime data for sheriff’s departments in the six largest Western Washington counties.

*The FBI defines Part 1 crimes as murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, arson, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. The rate is the number of crimes per 1,000 residents.