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Board approves $258,008 community-benefit grant for sheriff academy and service-officer pilot
Summary
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors approved a community-benefit grant to the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office to fund eight deputy recruit seats at the Riverside training academy and a one‑year pilot to hire two extra‑help sheriff service officer recruits, at a total grant ask of $258,008.03.
The Imperial County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a community‑benefit grant for the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office to fund basic peace‑officer academy slots and a pilot for sheriff service officer recruits.
Chief Ryan Kelly of the Imperial County Sheriff’s Office told the board the request would fund eight deputy sheriff recruits at the Riverside Sheriffs’ Academy (four in the current fiscal year and four in fiscal year 2025–26) and a one‑year pilot to hire two extra‑help sheriff service officer recruits. “We’re trying to create careers for men and women that have a desire to work in law enforcement,” Kelly said, and described the programs as measures to recruit locally and increase the department’s capacity to respond to growth in calls for service.
The grant request totals $258,008.03. Kelly told the board the academy seats would cost about $220,850 in total and the 1‑year pilot for two extra‑help sheriff service officer positions would cost $37,478 (for a combined 1,056 annual hours for the two positions). Applicants for the pilot would be required to be enrolled in a post‑academy program or an accredited college with coursework in criminal justice or related fields, and the sheriff’s office said it would prioritize local applicants.
Rosa Lopez of the county executive office presented the funding request and timeline. Board members asked about the training site (Kelly confirmed most recruits the office sends attend the Riverside academy), current vacancies and funded positions, and the department’s plans to fill funded vacancies. Kelly told the board the department currently had roughly 13–14 vacancies and expects to use a combination of funding sources and grant awards, including recently awarded COPS hiring program funds, to hire additional staff.
A motion to approve the community‑benefit grant was moved by Supervisor Martha Cardenas Singh and seconded by Supervisor Peggy Price. The board record shows the motion carried; the board did not read a final roll‑call tally into the record at the vote announcement.
The sheriff’s office said the recruits will be sourced through local recruitment outreach at schools and community events and that the county would continue to use its training budget while increasing the number of academy slots it funds.
The funding allocations and training schedule are to be split across fiscal years as described in the board report.
