The Pitt County Sheriff says he thinks money his deputies are helping bring into the county coffers should be shared with his office.

Sheriff Neil Elks says since he took office, he's made housing federal inmates a priority at the Pitt County Detention Center. He says he's increased the average number of federal inmates from 50 when he started to 120, and says the county is paid $78.00 per day per federal inmate.

Elks says projections have the county making about 2 and a half million dollars from housing the inmates, but he anticipates it will be closer to three million. He says the money goes into the general fund, and although the county is facing a million and a half dollar budget shortfall this fiscal year, he'd like at least part of the money to be given back to the sheriff's office to help replace old, worn-out equipment.

Elks says, "We have approximately 25 cars with over 150,000 miles on them. And knowing in my mind that that's going to create a lot of unsafe vehicles for our deputies to work out of. These are deputies that respond to your emergencies when you call 9-1-1."

Elks says if the county doesn't give the sheriff's office some of the money, he might reconsider how many federal inmates deputies pick up and house in the detention center next fiscal year.