RENO -- With the first day of the traditional school year just days away, work crews from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Community Work Program are busy, helping a number of local schools get ready for the return of students. 

In addition to participating in efforts that help clean and protect the Truckee River corridor, graffiti abatement, and removal of illegal dumpsites, the Sheriff’s Community Work Program has helped staff from the Washoe County School District with landscape and custodial projects for nearly two decades.  

Sheriff’s Work Crews worked over 8,200 man hours at Washoe County schools during fiscal year 2011-2012. Their work includes field maintenance, painting, light construction projects, campus clean-up and other jobs that help to keep schools in good condition for the students and staff, and save tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.    

Sheriff’s Community Work Program Crews are never scheduled to work on a school campus when classes are in session or during peak student use times. The crews will only work at schools on weekends once the school year begins. 

“When you think about all the work that goes into maintaining the buildings, landscape and sport fields related to a school campus, you realize just how overwhelming it can be for School District staff,” Sheriff Community Work Program Supervisor Mike Sherak said. “From painting curbs and fixing fences to cleaning up trash and pulling weeds, our crews help tie up the loose ends that keep these campuses in good shape.”

The Sheriff’s Community Work Program requires sentenced defendants to perform a specific number of hours or days of community service. Participants are typically low risk offenders with no violent felony charges, no current violent misdemeanor charges, no record of escape and no open charges.

The program benefits the public through savings in the cost of running the jail, and the estimated cost of work done throughout the community. During the 2011-2012 fiscal year, Sheriff work crews saved the community an estimated $1,860,199 in labor costs. 

For more information about the Sheriff’s Community Work Program, contact Brooke Howard at (775) 785-4244.