CAIRO, IL - Alexander County Sheriff David Barkett has laid off eleven workers and surrendered almost all his patrol vehicles in a recent repossession, according to WSIL-TV. The county, one of the poorest in the state, faces massive financial woes.
The sheriff's department is short four deputies, after being forced to lay off staff in early September - leaving one officer at a time to patrol more than 200 miles of county roads, WSIL estimated.
Barkett recently paid a visit to Governor Pat Quinn, (D)-Illinois, and returned with an SUV from the Central Management Agency to the sheriff's department, which will be outfitted with law enforcement equipment.
Law enforcement agencies from as far away as Rhode Island are aware of the county's financial problems and are offering to donate vehicles, according to WSIL.
A total of 17 county workers have been laid off, reported WPSDLocal6.com.
