[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6660032,"mediaKeyId","2438197-5caf8693f0fa0848bfb38951f737216b","parentId",2438197,"title","Sheriff Michael Donato expands K-9, drone, search-and-rescue and county tactical training in first year","audioSeconds",423,"startMs",3029000,"endMs",3452000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2438197-5caf8693f0fa0848bfb38951f737216b&start=3029&end=3452","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2438197-5caf8693f0fa0848bfb38951f737216b/thumbnail_3029000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6660032/New-Jersey/Sheriff-Michael-Donato-expands-K-9-drone-search-and-rescue-and-county-tactical-training-in-first-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660032-e91a04613f790c1b644d5c51d2086ac1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775112468&Signature=GgsWt3Bpu25rjMjEF5x4UN5z5p1QHnPvXFsfqDBxb4teyoUtbks3C0GEDd1-gBmsxgv57X4yLW44fWF95cvoj4LWvLyV~AFOrH4tkBF5N8lPKvl0p2e3-WExnLsqogdOA9Mk19FfuhP23kTb-2yhyW9LmSxqCKx1eT5IXblU3j-~yhU3eXTeJbJtni~XFQuzcyaHy3KPGZLSe6EKo1eQbJf3AniVqbtfd0~h2tGbYyuHU67tehskoJkUf8iE8UL3hIBBcD74AqrliW~bHO1gJwi88kxq4oOQ0V~6U8gCcNyFKCyn6DeY9ZwyheqveS1ZEuEu5EEc7qbWD6RQUNjtwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cumberland County","date","2025-02-28T00:19:10.38Z","article","Sheriff Michael Donato said his first year also prioritized expanding operational capabilities — including an active K-9 unit, a growing licensed drone program, participation in a county search-and-rescue team and formation of a countywide entry team for high-risk responses.

On the Spotlight on Cumberland County program, Donato described the K-9 and drone programs as resources available to municipal police and fire departments: \"The k 9 program is is is a great thing. We, you know, we've been through several different dogs for various reasons. But that's up and running. That's strong. The drone program, we've we've got several drones that we now use.\" He added that operators are licensed and that the office offers the capability to other first responders.

Donato said the county established a coordinated search-and-rescue team hosted at a fire department in Upper Deerfield and that the sheriff's office assigned officers to provide law-enforcement capability for missing-persons searches. He also said the county is starting a countywide entry team and that sheriff's officers are training alongside officers from township and city police departments and the prosecutor's office.

To strengthen community policing, Donato reorganized the office's community policing unit so a single manager schedules and coordinates events while drawing officers from across units for details. He said that approach spreads community work across the force instead of assigning it to the same small group of officers.

Donato said the sheriff's office has resumed visible neighborhood patrols including a Halloween detail — an initiative he said drew substantial positive public response: \"People loved it... we've been inundated over the next week with phone calls and messages... saying they've never had a sheriff's car in their neighborhood.\" He framed visible patrols as a straightforward deterrent and part of the sheriff's visibility goal.

Donato described cooperative support for municipal police departments, saying the sheriff's office provides supplemental enforcement when municipalities are short-staffed and that supervisors coordinate details and short-term shifts to help local departments.

He also described ongoing assistance to the county jail and said he maintains a working relationship with county administration and the jail warden to provide officer support for transports and hospital details when possible. The interview contained no formal policy votes or regulatory citations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Spotlight On Cumberland County with your host, Cumberland County Commissioner Director Jim Sauro","oneSentenceSummary","Donato described expanded K-9 and drone units, a county search-and-rescue effort, a county entry (tactical) team, and closer operational cooperation with municipal police departments.","taxTitle","Events, New Jersey","taxId",29484,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6660035,"Cumberland County sheriff credits hiring, scheduling and contract work for early staffing gains and budget savings",406,2606000,3012000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2438197-5caf8693f0fa0848bfb38951f737216b&start=2606&end=3012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2438197-5caf8693f0fa0848bfb38951f737216b/thumbnail_2606000.jpg","/articles/6660035/New-Jersey/Cumberland-County-sheriff-credits-hiring-scheduling-and-contract-work-for-early-staffing-gains-and-budget-savings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660035-fcd71c60ff6b5d3e72aac6684c057b06/orig.mp4?Expires=1775112468&Signature=RYyOlZqJAI~fStdubpMDpUbf44XF85HR350s2zAXagWL7lzttzD77x365SJjSZXRYHXs2UC5cwRM2YF81XqWUFIcWB4SyHS9mcUBmsFwgLX3XQ0G2TP8eotItFzdvk34jUEyjumuSaGSnKGWx2qrYri9Jla4TZed8F0U-Xmn7iQg4wJlWyEWwVZZ9LG-SFO2a9CQ8~GIiCaAIENzmPXvnSiUXnM-iP6r~vm1TiepiehEjtGakVkv~7T-YwE7qMLp5xn8gUoCIzFonHQRwixoznFnWIuC7QtTStnoqcRKJSkOYVk8RdeP0g~V-WvQc06HPbzZ~9lJ5dHCz5dCV2igsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sheriff Michael Donato said Thursday that his first year in office focused on hiring, changing schedules and reallocating staff to put more sworn officers on patrol and reduce overtime costs.

\"One of my my biggest goals was to make the sheriff's department have them more visible,\" Donato told Commissioner Director Jim Sarra on the Spotlight on Cumberland County program. He said the office aimed to deploy deputies to supplement local police departments and increase visible patrols in neighborhoods.

Donato said the sheriff's office entered his tenure short-staffed: \"I think when we came in, I was 11 officers short,\" and that courthouse security required more full staffing because \"there's 25 or 26 positions up there that need to be filled when that courthouse is fully functional.\" He described a multi-pronged hiring push and said the office had more than \"20 plus applications in the wind right now\" for upcoming academy classes.

To reduce recurring overtime costs, Donato said he revised schedules and increased civilian staffing in dispatch. He said the county returned \"90 or maybe a hundred thousand\" dollars in operating funds last year, attributing the savings to lower overtime and more civilian dispatch hires that freed sworn officers for patrol and courthouse duties.

Donato said the administration negotiated a contract that he characterized as fair to both sides and that the combination of better pay and more active patrol work helped retain deputies. He said turnover has fallen and that since he took office he lost only a small number of officers to retirements or relocation.

The sheriff described gradual, data-driven management changes rather than immediate personnel overhauls: after meeting supervisors and line staff, he said, \"we kinda just watched the process\" for a month before instituting planned changes.

Donato also said the sheriff's office is making hiring easier by allowing candidates to begin initial applications online and by planning academy seats this summer, steps he said should accelerate staffing gains.

The interview did not include any formal votes or policy texts and did not cite statutes or ordinance numbers. Donato credited cooperation with county commissioners and local police chiefs for enabling the staffing and retention work and said he expects additional classes and hires to continue through the year.

He framed the staffing work as part of a broader push to increase visible policing and service coverage across Cumberland County: \"People want to see Correct Police cars,\" he said, describing neighborhood patrols and a revived Halloween-detail program as part of that effort.

Donato and Sarra discussed personnel and budget numbers as estimates; where Donato gave ranges or approximate figures (staffing shortfalls, returned operating funds), the article reports them as stated by the sheriff and as approximate.","Sheriff Michael Donato said his first year focused on filling vacancies, reducing overtime and retaining officers through a new contract and targeted hiring — while turning back a portion of the operating budget.","actionData","errors"]

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Sheriff Michael Donato expands K-9, drone, search-and-rescue and county tactical training in first year

Cumberland County sheriff credits hiring, scheduling and contract work for early staffing gains and budget savings