Kane County Sheriff, Ron Hain, discusses his accomplishments and plans for the Kane County Sheriff’s Department at the Kiwanis Club of Aurora Tuesday, Dec. 17 at the Prisco Center in Aurora. Hain said when he took office the Department was $400,000 over budget and now is under budget by $600,000. He said there is a lot of work to do and expressed appreciation for Bill Lenert, Kane County Board committees, and Kane County Board chairman, Chris Lauzen, for their support. He said they brought in the Way Out Program for anyone with any kind of addiction in which someone can call, text, or walk in the front door and one of the deputies will meet with that person, not punitively, and within three to four hours have the person in a residential treatment center. He said approximately 30 individuals have been served since the program started in July. Police officers have received specialized training in responding to those who have substance abuse issues and know what to do to render assistance during an opioid overdose and can use naloxone to reverse the opioid overdoses. Hain said the electronic home monitoring program, cut in 2017 to save more than $700,000, will be brought back in January 2020 for individuals awaiting trial. Hain said the program, with eight employees and a supervisor, was too expensive and now will be handled in his office by training officers. No additional employees would be hired.Jason Crane/The Voice
