By Perry Schaible
Enquirer contributor

LEBANON _ The Warren County Sheriff's Office will spend $20,040 to replace its data servers to help upgrade an aging computer system.

The county commissioners approved the use of the funds Tuesday. Sheriff Tom Ariss said in the last few months officials dealt with major problems in the 7-year-old system housed in the old control room of the jail.

"What we're trying to do is update our equipment and make sure things run right," Ariss said.

He said registration and background checks related to the upcoming concealed-carry law, to go into effect April 8, will put an additional strain on the system if not replaced.

The funds will be paid from the Sheriff's Office budget.

"Their (servers) are old, falling apart and they're not in a climate-controlled area," said Gary Browning, Warren County director of data processing.

Four new servers will be put into the county's administration building on Justice Drive as soon as possible to accommodate the Sheriff's Office.

"Quite frankly, those servers could crash today," Browning said.

Officials hope to have the system updated by the time the concealed-carry law, which will allow people who obtain training and pass background checks to receive permits to carry concealed handguns, takes effect.

Money rolled over from the 2003 sheriff's budget will cover the upgrade.