Jail overcrowding continues to cost Dallas County tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Though the Sheriff’s office is still waiting for the last bill from Story County, estimates show Dallas County will spend around $130,000 to house overflow inmates in the Polk and Story county jails in 2015.

Sheriff Chad Leonard told the Board of Supervisors Monday that his deputies made more than 300 transport trips to the two jails with inmates last year, on top of around 655 court ordered transports.

All overflow inmates used to be sent to Polk County but when they wanted to increase the daily charge from $55 to $90 per inmate, per day, the Supervisors voted to utilize Story County’s jail at the $55 rate.

Other figures shared with the Board at their meeting this week include the phones at the dispatch office ringing more than 45,000 times in 2015 and deputies responding to nearly 12,000 calls for service.

Leonard stated that he wants to hire two additional deputies in order to be able to promote two people to the rank of sergeant and have a sergeant on duty for each of the three daily shifts.  Initially, the Sheriff says he wanted to request this increase over a span of five years but now he can use the additional help sooner than later. “I always hate having to ask (the Board) for stuff and having to increase the budget but it’s the cost of service.  Leonard says they need the manpower now, because even if voters approve a new jail facility it will take two years before it can be open.

Additional figures are expected to be shared with the Board at next week’s meeting.  So far, no action has been taken.