MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Laid-off deputies working for free are helping an Ohio sheriff's office keep running despite budget cuts. Retired police officers are also volunteering, often for more than 40 hours a week. The Richland County Sheriff's Department laid off 10 deputies in March because of the economy. Sheriff Steve Sheldon says the free labor is helping his department survive. But Sheldon also says the help is a temporary fix and he needs to be able to rehire full-time employees. Dale Fortney, a retired Mansfield police lieutenant, is putting in 40 to 50 hours a week helping reduce the office's backlog of felony warrants. Fortney says his efforts help make the streets safer for the officers who are still working.
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