The Meade County Sheriff’s Office says it’s facing an unprecedented surge in civil service work, with Sheriff Pat West reporting that demands continue to climb.
West told county commissioners that deputies are spending more time than ever serving divorce papers, foreclosure notices, wage‑garnishment orders, and other civil documents. He says his office will oversee four foreclosed home sales next month alone, adding, in his words, “It’s just people not paying their bills and getting into trouble.”
In February, deputies made 335 attempts to serve civil papers and successfully delivered 163 of them, generating just over nine‑thousand dollars in fees for the department. That’s a sharp increase from last year, when February saw 191 attempts and 96 successful services.
By comparison, traffic enforcement numbers are down from a year ago, with fewer stops and fewer citations issued.
The sheriff’s office says civil service demands are nearly double what they were at this time last year, and the trend shows no signs of slowing.
