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Cass County sheriff reports jail staffing shortfalls, new-pod training and weekend patrol support for downtown Fargo
Summary
At a Cass County Board of Commissioners meeting, the sheriff reported the jail is understaffed by about 20 positions, outlined a two-week training plan for a new jail pod, described recruitment and hiring steps, and said deputies have been providing limited weekend patrol assistance in downtown Fargo amid a recent rise in violent incidents.
Sheriff reported to the Cass County Board of Commissioners that his office is under budget and continues to pursue recruitment to fill jail vacancies while preparing staff to operate a newly completed jail pod.
The sheriff said the office’s year-to-date expenditures were about 52% of the overall budget, below an expected 58% level, and that the department has roughly 20 current openings across correctional and other positions in an agency of 267 positions. “So currently, we should be at 52% of our overall budget or … 58% … expended, and we’re at 52% right now,” the sheriff said. He said the office’s goal is to reduce openings to about 10 or slightly fewer given the size of the agency.
Detective Joe Hedin, who leads recruiting, told the commission the next correctional officer (CO) basic academy starts in October and nine candidates were in background checks and Miranda interviews as of the meeting. The sheriff said stronger pay ranges and targeted marketing have helped recruiting; he singled out an…
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