Boone council opens 18th police position to cover extended military leaves and deployment

The Boone City Council voted to open and hire what the police chief described as an eighteenth sworn officer to backfill multiple vacancies and an imminent deployment.

Keith Wiebold, Boone police chief, told the council the department currently has two officers on extended military leave — one for about four months with no projected return date and another expected to remain out roughly two months — and one officer in the academy. In early March, Chief Wiebold said, he received deployment orders for a national guard member assigned to the department that could begin in June and last "up to 400 days." Wiebold said that deployment uncertainty makes staffing planning difficult.

"Anytime somebody takes a day of vacation or is sick, we have to fill that with an overtime officer right now," Wiebold said, describing current reliance on overtime and the budget and fatigue impacts on the force. He said the department's preference is to hire a certified officer rather than an academy recruit when possible.

Council committee recommendation and the full council motion approved opening the position. The council moved and approved the request by roll call without recorded opposition.

The chief said the new hire would be budget-neutral during the first year of the deployment because the city would not be paying the deployed officer's salary during the overlap; however, he warned the following year may require a budget increase to cover the additional officer until an announced retirement in 2027.

The decision directs the police department to proceed with recruitment and hiring procedures for a certified officer to fill the open slot.

The council’s approval was procedural and consistent with the committee recommendation to address short-term operational staffing needs.