The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department budget has more than doubled over the past decade, but the department is still below the state average of officers and facing an uptick in crime.

"Compare us to other metropolitan areas, and we're the lowest employed with the highest crime rate," said Sheriff Rocky Watson.

Much of the extra budget dollars have gone toward shipping out inmates from the overcrowded jail, Watson said.

Although the department could still use more officers and other new materials, he added, staff has aimed to keep requests moderate.

"We know what we need, but we know what the economy is," he said.

The sheriff's budget has soared from $10,157,611 in the 2001-'02 fiscal year to this year's $24,483,677 - an increase of 142 percent.

One of the biggest boosts was adding the 9-1-1 center last year to the department's budget, which added $4 million.

But an ongoing budget driver, Watson said, has been the cost of shipping county jail inmates to other facilities in Lewiston, Washington and Montana, due to overcrowding or lack of space to segregate high-risk inmates.

The average number housed elsewhere has wavered around 100 to 200 per year since 2006. A total average of 285 were kept elsewhere last year.

This fiscal year to date, housing inmates at other facilities has cost $476,410.

"It's a very big logistical thing, but it's solvable, it's working," Watson said. "It's just expensive. There's no other answer to it unless you have a jail (with adequate space)."

County voters rejected proposals for a jail expansion in 2008 and 2009.

Finance Director David McDowell said some budget increases likely went toward staff, as well.

"Probably 80 percent of the (sheriff's) budget is personnel," he said, adding that he couldn't research how many officers had been added in the last 10 years on short notice.

Still, the sheriff's department has 1.4 officers per 1,000 residents, below the state average of 1.7 per 1,000.

It's difficult keeping pace with the county's rising population, Watson said.

"Crime is up, and calls for services is up," he said. "It strains all resources."

In past years, his department has budgeted more for raises than adding officers, he added.

"People are starting to leave, going to Spokane for higher pay," he said. "Our drive has been for higher pay than more staff, so we can quit losing seasoned officers."

The county's officer count raises concern, said Commissioner Todd Tondee.

"I think it's an indicator of how we're doing, if we're falling behind of or not," he said.

But it's hard to provide all the department needs with budget constraints, he said.

Tondee is hopeful of renewing discussions of a jail expansion, he said.

"Eventually it's going to happen," he said. "We're not planning on putting anything next year on the ballot, that I'm aware of."

Commissioner Dan Green said he isn't surprised the department's budget has escalated over the past 10 years.

"Not when I see the demands of having to house inmates in other locations, and by us having courtrooms in four locations," he said. "That requires us having a lot of manpower."

The county clerk has recommended a roughly $1.8 million increase for the sheriff's department for next fiscal year.

That would include a $600,000 camera system for the jail and raises for employees.

Everything else the department needs, Watson would rather not list, he said.

During a recession, he will take what he can get.

"I'm not going to go into a dream list," he said. "Anything would be an improvement."