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Sheriff warns of courthouse-security gap as deputies resign and applicant pool tightens
Summary
Sheriff (Speaker 9) told commissioners the office is short deputies for patrol and courthouse security after resignations and low applicant numbers; he asked the commission to consider overtime, private security, or pay changes while staff explore options.
Jackson County's sheriff told commissioners on Oct. 27 he faces a shortfall in courthouse-security staffing and broader recruitment challenges that may affect daily operations.
"The biggest concern right now is, we're 1 we've been 1 short full time, courthouse security deputy," the Sheriff (Speaker 9) said, describing a resignation effective next Wednesday and a small pool of qualified applicants for patrol and investigator positions. He said the office currently has two investigators and two patrol deputies short of full staffing and two deputies in the academy.
The sheriff outlined possible stopgap responses: paying deputies overtime to staff courthouse security, hiring private security for the courthouse, or adjusting starting pay to be competitive with neighboring agencies. He cautioned these choices have trade-offs: overtime can create budget complications, private security can be less effective for investigative follow-up, and raising starting pay creates cascading salary pressures across tenure bands.
The sheriff also highlighted retention costs: sending recruits to the academy costs about $5,000 per hire and the county often loses money when new officers leave before a payback period. He asked commissioners for help evaluating whether the commission's budget or policies could accommodate overtime pay or other options to keep courthouse security staffed.
What's next: Chair (Speaker 1) asked staff to review feasibility of overtime, compensation comparisons with nearby jurisdictions, and any legal or budgetary constraints on using commission funds for security staffing. No final decision was made at the meeting.
