Sheriff, staff to get incentive money

Lake County Sheriff ’s Department and jail employees will receive COVID-19 incentive pay after the Lake County Council approved the payment Tuesday.

The council approved a $108,000 transfer within the jail’s budget and a $82,500 transfer within the sheriff ’s department budget for COVID incentive pay.

In October, the sheriff ’s department requested $165,000 and the jail requested $108,000 for employee COVID-19 incentive pay from the general fund. In a statement, Sheriff Oscar Martinez previously said the money amount decreased because it represents the funding available within the budget.

After the meeting, Martinez said he was “extremely pleased that our officers will receive a stipend.”

Throughout the pandemic, correctional staff and inmates have been exposed to COVID-19, with one mental health professional working in the jail dying of COVID-19 last year, Martinez previously said. Just this year, 120 corrections and police officers were exposed to COVID-19 and, of those tested, 54 tested positive, Martinez previously said.

“This situation caused severe strain mentally and physically to other officers who must be held over to work longer hours. I praise our police officers and also our warden, correctional officers and medical staff for an outstanding job during this crisis,” Martinez said.

Jail staff worked to limit the spread of the virus by assessing new inmates, isolating them, using proper protective equipment and following other Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, Martinez said.

“Our police officers and corrections officers continue to meet the challenges and hazards of the pandemic with professionalism and courage,” Martinez said.

During the council’s study session Nov. 4, Warden Mike Zenk said the jail staff would receive a one-time $500 payment. On the sheriff ’s side, the request is to give a one-time $500 payment per police officer plus “a stipend for

their performance as a first responder,” Chief of Police Vincent Balbo said.

The jail department was requesting a $285,000 transfer within its budget: $108,000 for the COVID-19 incentive pay, $137,000 for maintenance and service contracts and $40,000 for furniture and fixtures.

Councilman Charlie Brown, D-Gary, asked why the department was transferring so much money late in the year. Balbo said the budget has been affected by COVID-19.

“Our inability to hire ... that’s been a huge amount. A big amount of that money is based on those numbers. That’s where we come up with some surpluses that we didn’t anticipate based on our shortfall of correctional officers to be on staff,” Balbo said.

Councilman Christian Jorgensen, R-St. John, said he initially shared Brown’s concerns, but after talking to department officials is reassured the surplus is due to COVID-19 and difficulties in hiring correctional officers.