The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office got a bit of extra help in rural areas by swearing in two officers from the state Department of Natural Resources Wednesday.

    The agreement essentially gives the two authority to assist in and make arrests anywhere in Lewis County. Before the commission, Jason Bodine and Chief Larry Raedel only had authority to make arrests on state-owned land.

    Bodine said the agreement simply gives him a greater ability to do what he was trained to do — uphold the law. Both officers have worked as police officers in other counties before, they said, and DNR officers go through the same training.

    Nineteen counties have made the interagency agreement with the state agency, and Raedel said he hopes all counties will take part soon.

    “It’s basically like having another deputy,” Bodine said. “When we’re coming and going from state land we can take care of crime reports ourselves.”

    Lewis County Sheriff Steve Mansfield also said his deputies can request assistance from the two if they happen to be in the area.

    Mansfield also said the extra help will curb the pain from two years’ worth of budget cuts and five vacant positions.

    The agreement, he said, won’t cost either department a penny.