The Story County Sheriff’s Department announced Thursday that it will be laying off two employees, leaving two open positions unfilled.

Paul Fitzgerald, Story County sheriff, announced that the layoffs were a reaction to the 3.4-percent budget reduction ordered by the Story County Board of Supervisors.

The department will lose three detention officer positions, as well as one service technician in the Support Services division. The sheriff’s department is cutting $224,050 from its budget this year. The sheriff is also cutting $104,950 from his budget to account for raises given throughout the last fiscal year.

Fitzgerald wrote in a press release, “I realize times are tough for everyone in the current economic climate, and we at the Sheriff’s Office are not immune. It is important, though, that all Story County citizens understand that the mandated cuts will have a negative impact on the services we provide and could greatly affect public safety. My command staff and I will continue to monitor our budget situation daily. If the operational cuts we’ve made become too constrictive, there will be a possibility of further layoffs. Those (layoffs) most likely would come from the Communications Division, which will further compromise public safety.”