Jail vote guarantees issue will get close look

We'll bet you could almost hear the jaws drop all over Southwest Nebraska.

Reuben Hoff Jr., chairman of Red Willow County's Jail task force, claimed he wasn't as surprised as most of us around McCook were that the City County voted Monday night to work toward building a joint safety and dispatch center with Red Willow County.

Even though the vote was 3-2, Hoff said he had a feeling the City Council would go along with the idea "if we gave them accurate information and we were always aboveboard."

Hoff may or may not be correct in his analysis of the reasons for the vote, but he and the other members of the task force need to be commended for their efforts.

Observers say Hoff was especially conscientious in his efforts to obtain the most accurate, honest information available and steer the committee toward the wisest possible conclusion.

The City Council is to be commended as well, for looking to the future.

Looking back, no one was especially surprised when the task force concluded that Red Willow County should build its own jail.

The reasons for the study, and the conclusion, are outlined in the study itself:

* There is simply not enough jail space available for long- and short-term incarceration of the increasing number of prisoners.

* It is costing more and more to house our inmates in other Nebraska and Kansas jails.

* Transporting inmates to and from other jurisdictions represents a threat to safety and security as well as putting the county at financial risk.

* It is difficult to find space for female prisoners.

* It is undesirable to pull sheriff's office law enforcement personnel away from public safety and law enforcement duties.

* It is possible that the City of McCook might discontinue operating its 96-hour holding facility in the not-too-distant future.

All are real concerns.

Some have questioned the figures used to justify a new jail for Red Willow County, and the numbers certainly deserve a closer look.

Now that the city is getting involved, that is a certainty. Let's hope we have enough information for a wise decision in time for the November jail bond vote.