The number of beds available at the Stark County Jail would be reduced to 122 (down from 501 last year) if voters reject a county sales tax proposal on the ballot Nov. 8.
The jail would hold only the most serious felons and would cease most booking operations for 22 Stark County police agencies.
Sheriff Timothy Swanson last month asked those agencies to plan on issuing a summons or booking prisoners elsewhere if the tax fails, except for “crisis booking,” which he deemed of a “serious felony or domestic violence” nature.
“Our booking officers would be, for the most part, either working [in] housing sections or laid off, rather than performing booking duties,” Swanson said.
Louisville police Chief Andy Turowski surveyed chiefs from other Stark County departments, asking what contingency plans they would put in effect.
Those he surveyed included Canton, Massillon, Jackson Township, Perry Township, Navarre, Hartville, Hills and Dales, Lawrence Township, Canal Fulton, Beach City, North Canton and Magnolia.
“As you know, combined with the residents that the sheriff provides law-enforcement service for, these agencies account [for] the overwhelming majority of the population in the county,” Turowski said.
The consensus from those agencies was that all but the most serious offenders (murder or rape suspects, etc.) would be released from police custody on summonses following their arrest, Turowski reported.
He sent the following responses to Stark County Commissioner Thomas Bernabei.
Massillon: Indicated it might reopen its jail for booking and overnight purposes. It would not replace the function of the county jail.
Canton: It is unlikely the city would reopen its jail and just as unlikely it could contract for that service from another jail outside the county.
Alliance: Anticipates issuing summonses for all but the worst offenders and at this point is not considering other provisions.