For the second consecutive month, members of a Chautauqua County legislative committee discussed the proposed budget increase for the district attorney’s office.

On Wednesday, Patrick Swanson, county district attorney, again discussed his request to have the DA Office’s budget increased so he can hire an additional attorney. He said by hiring an entry-level attorney, he will be able to shift the workload in the office, which currently has 10 assistant district attorneys, so a more experiences lawyer can handle more narcotics cases. He added this will allow the narcotics attorney more time to work with police investigators and confidential informants during a case.

“I have a real need,” Swanson said about needing an additional attorney.

Terry Niebel, R-Sheridan, said last year the legislature approved a budget increase for the DA’s office with the idea that it would go toward an additional attorney. However, the funding increase last year went toward clerical staff for the office. Niebel said he would like a letter stating that if the DA’s Office budget is increased the funding will go toward an additional attorney.Swanson said the only budget increase he is asking the legislature to approve is for an additional attorney. After the meeting, Swanson told the newspaper the entry-level attorney, with benefits, will cost around $80,000.

Last month, Swanson discussed the DA’s Office budget with the Public Safety Committee. Swanson said with felony case loads increasing across the board and the same number of attorneys and staff working each, he would like to add one entry-level attorney during the next four years, for a total of 14 assistant district attorneys, to assist with the felony case load.

During his discussion last month, Swanson said the highest number of felonies, drug felonies, violent felonies and drug misdemeanors ever occurred last year in Chautauqua County. In 2017, there were 1,144 felonies, an increase of 127, or 31 percent; 258 drug felonies, a rise of 57, or 45 percent; 212 violent felonies, a jump of 41, or 24 percent; and 451 drug misdemeanors, which rose 116, or 35 percent.

Swanson said last year the number of illegal gun charges increased by 23, from nine in 2016 to 32 in 2017. He said of the 212 violent felonies, 90 of those cases dealt with robberies, drugs or guns. He added that they all stem from the drug trade throughout the county.

In other committee business, Joe Gerace, county sheriff, discussed the proposal for the Sheriff’s Office to provide a school resource officer to Bemus Point School District for the cost of $75,807. He said this is a similar service the Sheriff’s Office provides other school districts in the county like Silver Creek and Pine Valley. He wishes the federal government would provide the grant funding so each school in the country could have a school resource officer.

“I believe that (a school resource officer) is something every school should have,” Gerace said.

Gerace also discussed a $647,798 state grant the Sheriff’s Office received for emergency 9111 communications radio equipment. He said this is not the first time the department has received funding from the state for communications equipment, which included once a $6 million grant. He added the funding comes from the surcharge people pay as part of their cell phone plans.

The sheriff said the communications system the Sheriff’s Office has is next generation compatible, which will be important to have in place once the rest of the state and, eventually the nation, have the next generation communications equipment as well.