Two more Butler County Sheriff's deputies will be patrolling Liberty Township by the end of July 2026, bringing the township's dedicated force to 22 patrol officers.

The Liberty Township Board of Trustees approved a contract addendum the week of July 14 authorizing the hires. Each deputy will cost approximately $105,000 annually, covering wages, benefits, and equipment, according to township administrator Caroline McKinney.

The addition comes as calls for service have risen sharply. McKinney said the township logged 40,915 calls in calendar year 2025, up from 29,536 in 2021.

"Our calls are going up. The complexity of calls is going up. It's not been a dramatic increase, it's been a steady increase," said Lt. Michael Nutt, who supervises the Butler County Sheriff's Office substation in Liberty Township.

Nutt said the township averages about 3,000 calls per month. Not every call is a one-deputy response, he noted. A crash on Cincinnati-Dayton Road or Yankee Road can require two or three officers.

The two deputies being assigned are fully trained and have previously worked in Liberty Township, meaning they can begin patrolling without a learning curve, Nutt said.

Faster timeline

The original plan called for hiring one deputy in 2026 and a second in 2027. Trustees opted to bring both on mid-year 2026 instead. No additional deputies are planned for 2027.

The new officers join 20 deputies, four detectives, six supervisors, and one lieutenant already assigned to the township.

Trustee Steve Schramm, who voted to approve the addendum, said the board wanted to stay ahead of demand rather than react after problems emerge.

Funding and contract

The hires fall under a four-year contract with the Butler County Sheriff's Office that runs through Dec. 31, 2028. The base contract started at $3.9 million for 2025 and rises to $4.4 million by 2028. Liberty Township paid $3.3 million for police service in 2024.

Funding comes primarily from a 3.3-mill continuing levy voters approved in 2024, which raises approximately $3.5 million annually.

The contract includes provisions for adding staff through board-approved addendums. When the contract launched in January 2025, McKinney said she anticipated a detective would be added first, with any future additions following the same addendum process.

The township has also expanded its law enforcement tools in 2026. In February, trustees approved 10 Flock license plate reader cameras at an annual cost of about $30,000, installed on the outskirts of the township.

Residents who want to report non-emergency concerns can contact the Butler County Sheriff's Office Liberty Township substation at 513-785-1300.