The Emporia Gazette

May 27, 2012

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Lyon County commissioners heard a request from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office to purchase less-lethal ammunition for controlling suspects and crowds.

Roger Proehl and Richard Old of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office asked to spend up to $5,000 from the forfeiture fund to purchase the ammunition — bean bags and rubber baton rounds — which includes upgrading from 37 mm launchers to 40 mm launchers, which is more in line with equipment used by surrounding law enforcement, Proehl said. The ammunition will be used by the Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team.

“We thought this would be an opportune time to change from 37 mm to 40,” Proehl said. “Most of the surrounding agencies have 40 and if we need to borrow rounds, we will have more standardized rounds.”

Old said the ammunition gives the Sheriff’s Office another tool when dealing with people.

“Essentially we’ve got guns and tasers and this is another set of tools that gives the officers another ability to gain compliance without taking deadly force,” Old said. “The more options you have available to you to avoid having to use those deadly options, the better they are.”

County commissioners also heard the county’s five-year plan which includes the South Avenue Improvement Project, which runs from Prairie Street west to the entrance to the transfer station. The plan also includes replacing three bridges. There will be a public hearing on May 16 in the commission chambers regarding the five-year plan.

Also at the meeting, Gary Post, Lyon County appraiser, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not signed the Provisionally Accredited Levee agreement for the Hartford levee.