EPHRATA - The Grant County Sheriff's Office may get a fourth detective in its major crimes unit for the first time in more than 20 years.

The Grant County commissioners are holding a public hearing at 10 a.m. on Sept. 19 to discuss the about $15,450 budget extension to hire the detective for two months. The major crimes detectives investigate homicides, suicides, suspicious deaths as well as assaults, armed robberies, sexual assaults, abductions and financial crimes.

Sheriff Tom Jones pointed out the office requests more detectives every year, saying the amount of detectives hasn't changed since the mid-1980s, while the population has grown.

"It was a priority for our office. That's why we approached the commissioners again," he said.

"We thought it was an appropriate time to make the request. We expected the same response that we got in years past. This time they said, 'Go ahead and put it in writing,' and that's what we did."

The request, written by Undersheriff Dave Ponozzo, stated the amount of cases the detectives are handling have increased significantly since the third detective position was added.

"The nature and increased severity of those crimes primarily investigated by this unit has done nothing but multiply over the years with no end in sight," he wrote. "There are crimes ... that are not getting the attention they deserve and certainly not in a timely manner. This not only causes delays and frustrations for the victims of these immediate crimes."

The delay in the investigations creates the possibility for additional crimes, leading to more victims, more investigations, prosecution and court time, Ponozzo wrote.

"In making this request, we will be able to absorb the costs associated with the initial startup of this position using equipment and supplies that we currently have in inventory," he stated. "There are items that we have maintained through the reductions in force we have seen over the past few years."

Commissioner Richard Stevens explained the request came about because of a deputy returning from military service.

The deputy had been appointed to the major crimes unit, but was replaced after being deployed.

"We agreed to finance it through the end of the year. The hearing will be to approve that," he said. "The budget is in good enough shape to do it this year."

Whether the position remains next year is still undecided, Stevens said.

The office plans to budget for the position in its 2013 budget, Ponozzo stated.

"I'm really excited that it could be a possibility," Jones said. "I thank the commissioners for seeing what I'm seeing."