Over two tons of pharmaceutical drugs have been collected between 2011-2017 at a drop-off site at the Mower County Law Enforcement Center, reported Sheriff Teresa Amazi to the county commissioners on Tuesday.

In exact numbers, 4,678 1/2 pounds of drugs have been incinerated since that time, she said.

“It is a well-used box,” she said.

The drop box was established in 2010, which helped, at least in part, with keeping prescription drugs out of the water supply. Flushing drugs down toilets was a common practice, but there was a growing fear that drugs could eventually cycle back into water sources. Another common practice was throwing them away in the trash.

At first, though, it was difficult to dispose of the collections because the state outlawed incineration of pharmaceuticals by counties. However, incineration was later approved at permitted facilities. There are three used by the county, Amazi said.

Commissioner Tim Gabrielson asked about the process of getting rid of the drugs.

Strapped boxes of drugs are brought to the incinerator where incineration of the drugs is watched by officials until complete.

Amazi presented several statistics to the board during its regular meeting Tuesday.

A few more highlights:

Average jail population in 2017: 77 males; 11 females.

“The female number is going up” due to a broader use of drugs, Amazi said.

Highest jail population month in 2017: August, when 104 were housed. Amazi said it was a time when “we had some big cases, a lot of defendants and a backlog in the courts.”

She added that prisoners are being moved in and out of the jail more swiftly today, thanks to another judge on the local bench. Christa Daily was appointed to the position in January.

“We also seem to be transporting more prisoners to prison,” she said.

Number of employees in department and jail: 71 employees (of those 21 are sworn deputies); and 20 volunteers (mostly sheriff posse members).

Total transports of prisoners in 2017: 327, using 1,541 deputy hours traveling 67,175 miles. There are times, Amazi said, that deputies have had to go as far as Chicago to pick up prisoners for trial.

Total transport of prisoners in January 2018: 23, using 122 deputy hours and 26 guard hours, traveling 5,263 miles.