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MICHAEL DUNNE: I’m Michael Dunne. Since 1851 there have been 36 sheriffs in Lane County. Today on the show, you’ll meet the 37th. Carl Wilkerson was named the county sheriff to replace recently departed Clifford Harold. Wilkerson takes over a department that must patrol a county that’s bigger than some states, leading to response times for emergencies up to an hour instead of mere minutes for city police forces. He also runs the county jail, which is overcrowded and often the place of last resort for our community’s mental health crisis. And he’s taking over at a time when 1000s of people head to the more rural areas of the county to recreate, and often find themselves in need of Sheriff Department rescue. In short, it’s a tough job, made tougher by underfunding and understaffing that’s next on Oregon On The Record. Lane County Sheriff, Carl Wilkerson, thanks so much for chatting with us.
SHERIFF WILKERSON: Thanks for having me…