Delaware to shutter deputies' office - or maybe not

By Jeanne Sager
HORTONVILLE — An announcement at Wednesday’s Town of Delaware Board meeting could have had drastic impacts on the availability of police services on the western end of the county.
Hashing out the details of its town hall renovation, Supervisor Jim Scheutzow said the town had come up short on room for the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office substation.
“In the past year or so, they haven’t really been here that much; maybe once or twice a month,” said Supervisor Jim Scheutzow, proposing the substation be eliminated.
With the need to create handi-capped accessibility for both the justice court and bathroom facilities, even a renovated town hall will suffer a space crunch.
“It boils down to room, folks,” Scheutzow told the room.
It came as a shock to Sheriff Mike Schiff and Undersheriff Eric Chaboty.
Of five substations scattered throughout the county, Delaware is the only office in the western end.
It’s an office the Sheriff’s Office uses significantly more than once or twice a month, Chaboty said, and an office the Sheriff has been working to improve.
Just purchased for the Delaware office was a new radio, and Lt. Brian Boyd has been working hand-in-hand with the township to expand its high speed internet service to the deputies, to allow better communication with the Monticello headquarters.
“We thought we were working to keep the deputies there,” a shocked Chaboty said. “We’re looking forward to working with the Town of Delaware through their renovation.
“That is our main base of operations when we’re patrolling the western end of the county,” Chaboty continued.
Scheutzow was presented with a copy of the blotter at the town hall, which shows deputies make use of the substation significantly more than once or twice a month.
If the town were to shutter the office, the Sheriff would look for another home in the area, but Chaboty said Monday that the issue seems to have been ironed out.
“Our objective is to provide the same level of service in the western part of the county as in the eastern end,” Chaboty said.