GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio -- What does a county do when it has 90,000 residents to protect and fewer dollars to go around?

If you're the Geauga County Sheriff's Office, you come up with a unique way to balance the books.

Geauga County deputies are working 12-hour shifts, and NewsChannel5's Angie Lau reported that it's saving a lot more than just money.

Lt. Tom McCaffrey works long hours -- his days go four hours longer than most people's. He said that he prefers it that way.

"I really enjoy it," he said. "Although it's a lot of work -- 12 hours -- you get a lot of off time, which I can spend with my kid."

When Geauga County commissioners cut 5 percent from the budget, the sheriff's department suddenly had to find ways to save $300,000. Changing a schedule was one innovative way to save money.

"We estimate that the move alone, by eliminating the need for part-time employees on that shift, we will save $40,000," Chief Deputy Dan McClelland said.

The sheriff's deputies' new schedules include a day shift from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m., and a second shift of 5 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Two shifts, instead of three, means less overtime, NewsChannel5 reported.

"One of the advantages of a 12-hour schedule is that it gives each of our deputies every other weekend off," McClelland said.

Most of the deputies find their new shift rewarding, both professionally and personally.

"(My son and I) spend a lot of time together," McCaffrey said. "He just started karate class too."

The 12-hour shift idea was suggested about nine months ago from deputies themselves.

Currently, the idea is on trial. In six months, if the sheriff's office decides that it's working and that there is a savings, the eight-hour workday will soon become a thing of the past.