In less than two months, several townships in Hamilton County could see fewer sheriff's deputies on the road.
"We were blindsided, didn't see this coming at all," Harrison Township Trustee Tom Losekamp said.
Trustees said that they don't have many law enforcement officers and only five sheriff deputies.
"Four or five deputies could be gone," Losekamp said.
Dozens of other deputies around the county could be without a job as well because of $4 million in budget cuts to the sheriff's department.
"It's very shocking. The crime rate is low one reason we live here and concerns me if we lost those deputies," Homeowner Pam Jacobs said.
Jacobs has lived in Harrison Township for 10 years.
She's against paying higher taxes to keep deputy patrols but has another idea.
"I'm willing to take some taxes I'm already paying away from somewhere else and use it for deputies," Jacobs said.
Losekamp said that a levy is an option but doesn't think voters will pass it.
He met with Sheriff Simon Leis and trustees from other townships Wednesday night.
"We do not have a high crime rate. Deputies in those township keeps people honest so definitely going to affect us," Losekamp said.
Harrison Township needs to come up with $375,000 to pay for patrols.
If not it would have zero deputies on the road, no law enforcement presence at all, ONN's Lot Tan reported.
"Just have to be vigilant and watch out for each other and hopefully we can come up with a plan to maintain this thing," Losekamp said.
A plan must be in effect by April 1, 2012.
That is when deputy patrols may be eliminated.
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