News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
At least five master keys for the Van Buren County Jail are missing, according to an audit conducted by Sheriff Michael Brock’s department.
Brock told County Commissioners Wednesday night the master keys open every interior jail door, including doors that would allow access to the exits. The missing keys were discovered during an audit by the chief deputy earlier this month.
Brock said changing the locks would be a challenge.
“I think we’ve talked about the keys, and someone told me that the keys are, like, $500,” Brock said. “Each key is $500. I can only imagine what the locks would be.”
Brock’s audit found a total of nine keys checked out by the former jail administrator in 2018, but all nine were not turned over during the change in leadership.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Brock said. “I just wanted to make that public knowledge to you guys as the commission and have that recorded in the minutes that we’ve done that.”
Van Buren County Mayor David Sullivan said a similar problem came to light recently with the Department of Elections. Sullivan said that department found a grant to replace the locks.
