Island County Sheriff Mark Brown will discuss the future of his department at a public meeting next week in Freeland.

The meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23 at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Brown will talk about manpower, crime statistics and budget requests for the coming year.

Brown said he has presented his “wish list” to Island County Commissioners, urging them to follow the eight-year plan he presented last year for 13 more positions, and to allow him to hire at least four officers in 2009.

“I understand that these are tough economic times,” Brown said. “But I certainly feel we need more manpower.”

Brown said recently his current budget is about $5 million for patrol and investigations, and $2 million for jail operations.

He said he would like additional funding for two deputies — one to be hired in January, the other in June — and two jail personnel.

He said that last year he asked the county for three new deputies, and received funding for one.

In a full-page newspaper message to county residents in Island publications last month, the sheriff’s deputies’ union said that to meet the state average, Island County would have to hire 32 more deputies.

The union also said the Island County department handles more calls than Skagit County, but has 18 fewer deputies.

Brown said that at the upcoming public meeting he also will discuss categorizing 911 calls in terms of priority response.

Brown said his budget request will be taken up by Island County commissioners on Oct. 13.

The Freeland meeting is the first in a series of planned community gatherings where Brown will outline the needs of his department.