The DeKalb County Commission approved a new three-year agreement between the county and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers for extra patrols for lakesites Monday night.

The commissioners formally unanimously approved the agreement, as presented by Sheriff Patrick Ray, during the regular monthly meeting Monday night. The contract requires that the sheriff's department provide patrols at Johnson's Chapel, Ragland Bottom, Floating Mill, Center Hill Dam Area, Hurricane Bridge, and the Putnam County Access in the Austin Bottom Community. The agreement is good from May 6 through September 5, 2016.

The Corps pays the county is $23,571 this year, an increase over last year, and the sheriff will provide deputies for 97 patrol periods with six area patrols per period, and an orientation meeting. The payment will increase to $24,057 in 2017 and $23,814 in 2018.

Ray said he will hire a part-time officer funded by the Corps under this contract to patrol all the sites, and he would like the part time officer to be POST certified.

Ray said that the officer patrolling the Putnam County Access will also check out the Denny Bottom Recreation area to further heighten the presence of law enforcement in the community, which has had problems with undesirable activity at its remote lake access areas.