Input sought on county PD

Input sought on county PD - Martinsville Bulletin: "The Henry County Board of Supervisors wants public input on whether it should create a county police department.

That was the sentiment at Tuesday’s board meeting where a report showed that splitting the sheriff’s office’s law enforcement functions off into a county police department would bring in more state funding, not less.

Law enforcement functions include criminal investigation and traffic enforcement.

County Administrator Benny Summerlin told the board that even though historically other counties have lost funds when they transferred the sheriff’s office law enforcement functions to a police department, Henry County appears to be in a different situation.

State officials told him, he said, that although the county would lose $1.9 million in State Compensation Board funding, it would gain about $2.3 million in state “599” funding for police departments, for a net gain of $400,000.

“I was shocked,” he said."