Sixteen Butler County sheriff’s deputies may become part of the district attorney’s drug task force.

Sheriff Mike Slupe said cross-designating the deputies as detectives would help fight the war against drugs.

“Sixteen deputies are ready, willing and able,” he said of the deputies who are already certified police officers.

Slupe said the idea was first broached in 2014.

“We revisited the issue with the district attorney recently,” he said.

Slupe said the move would be timely with District Attorney Richard Goldinger’s focus on the drug problem.

Slupe said the deputies would work for the task force when they are not serving their regular shifts for his office.

He explained the deputies already are authorized to make drug arrests, but require the cross-designation to initiate an investigation.

Slupe has 24 full-time deputies and four part-timers. One of the four detectives in the district attorney’s office is the drug task force coordinator. Municipal police officers comprise the task force.

He said 19 other counties already have the cross-designation for deputies.

Goldinger said he is willing to move forward with the proposal.

“I’m certainly receptive to it,” he said.

However, Goldinger said the details need ironed out before proceeding.

“Some things need to be sorted out,” he said.

Goldinger said his office is not short-handed, but it could only help to have more people working on drug cases.

The cross-designation requires an approval by the county salary board.

In this case, Goldinger, the three county commissioners and county controller would vote.

The next salary board voting meeting is scheduled for June 21.

Goldinger said that date may be premature to make the change.

“I may not be ready to do it,” he said. “It’s in the infancy stage.”

The county commissioners expressed concerns about deputies being sworn in as county detectives.

Commissioner Leslie Osche, board chairman, said more information needs gathered before a decision could be made.

“There are a lot of challenges,” she said.

Osche cited fiscal, liability and union contract issues.

“Labor agreements have to be addressed,” she said.

Commissioner Kim Geyer agreed there are multiple considerations to discuss.

“We want to do what’s best for the county,” Geyer said.

Osche suggested the alternative of discussing staffing in the district attorney’s office.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel also is reluctant to give the go-ahead.

“I haven’t seen a plan,” Boozel said. “It’s not fiscally responsible at this point.”

Osche said some municipal police departments said they would be willing to participate in the task force, but were never contacted to do so.

Goldinger said his experience is the opposite, with some municipal officers declining invitations to participate.

Osche expressed doubt that cross-designating deputies is the best way to combat the drug problem.

“I would expect our elected officials to do what’s best for the taxpayers,” she said.

Slupe said the commissioners just need to get used to the idea.

“For them, it’s a new concept and they are trying to have a better understanding,” he said. “We are not reinventing the wheel. But even if we were, good for us.”

Controller Ben Holland said he has no problem cross-designating the deputies.

“I would support a salary board action because it’s not adding a new position,” Holland said.

He said the main factor is finances.

“It’s a budgetary issue,” Holland said. “That’s the issue that needs debated.”

The deputies would be paid overtime while working as county detectives. Goldinger’s office would repay Slupe for those wages.

The drug task force receives funding from the county and the state Attorney General’s office.

Slupe said municipal, state and federal officials support the idea.