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By MELISSA M. JANOSKI melissaj@leader.net
Wednesday, February 02, 2000 Page: 9A
WILKES-BARRE – The Luzerne County Sheriff’s Department will soon begin a
night shift to speed the delivery of protection-from-abuse orders and arrest
warrants.
The move was complimented by Wilkes-Barre Police Chief Bill Barrett, who
said it will help keep women safer and relieve a burden on the police. “I
think it is a wonderful idea.”
Within two weeks, two deputies will be assigned to a night shift, either 3
p.m. to 11 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 12 p.m., said Sheriff Barry Stankus. No new
employees will be hired to fill the shift. Deputies transferred to the night
shift will be paid an additional 5 percent. The deputies’ regular hourly rate
ranges from $11.45 to $14.65.
One of the deputies’ main duties is to hand-deliver protection-from-abuse
orders to alleged abusers. The court orders bar people from coming near
someone who has filed an allegation of violent or threatening behavior.
But the deputies stop serving the orders at 4:30 p.m., when the courthouse
closes, and deputies sometimes don’t have time to serve orders issued at the
end of the day, Stankus said.
That leaves the responsibility to police officers, who also have to respond
to emergency calls. The new schedule should ensure that no orders are
overlooked at the end of the day and fewer have to be turned over to police,
Stankus said.
In addition, the evening schedule should make it easier for deputies to
find those receiving abuse orders, Stankus said. Someone who cannot be located
at work or at home during business hours might be more easily found at the
dinner hour or later in the evening, he said.
The deputies also will serve arrest warrants on people wanted for failing
to show up in court.
Stankus also plans to switch his department’s brown “100 percent plastic”
polyester uniforms for blue uniforms consisting of cotton-polyester blend
shirts and wool-polyester slacks. The switch will be paid for with the $400
annual uniform allowance allotted to each of the 40 deputies and officers. The
new uniforms will arrive sometime next year. The new fabrics will be warmer in
winter, cooler in summer and will last longer, he said. Blue was chosen
because he thinks it will look cleaner.
Call Janoski at 831-7331.