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Montgomery County approves funding to add eight jail deputies after sheriff warns of staffing shortfalls
Summary
Following a presentation that described staffing shortages and safety risks at the county jail, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Nov. 25, 2024, to fund eight deputy positions; staff provided mid-year and annual cost estimates.
Montgomery County’s Board of Supervisors approved funding to add eight deputy positions in the sheriff’s office on Nov. 25, 2024, after Sheriff Parton described persistent staffing shortages and safety concerns at the county jail.
Sheriff Parton told the board that current shift coverage leaves floor staffing thin: deputies assigned to control-room duties are not available for floor coverage, and mandatory training, comp time, sick leave and other absences routinely reduce available staffing. He said the department has four deputies assigned across 12-hour shifts per watch and that realistic staffing needs would be higher than the current request; the sheriff asked the board for four immediate positions and said eight would be the longer-term requirement.
Lieutenant Stahl provided comparative data showing other nearby localities maintain higher on-floor staffing relative to their average daily population (ADP), and the sheriff highlighted average-population metrics and operational constraints that, in the sheriff’s view, create a safety risk when posts are uncovered.
County staff told the board there is recurring, unallocated funding that could be transferred from special contingencies to cover new positions. Staff provided cost estimates: a full-year cost for four deputies (including one-time equipment) was given as approximately $342,400; a mid-year (six-month) hiring projection for four deputies was $173,400, six deputies $259,000 and eight deputies $344,600. Staff said the six-month figures account for one-time start-up equipment and uniform costs.
Supervisors expressed broad support for addressing staffing and safety needs. The board voted to add the sheriff’s request to new business and later approved funding for eight deputies by roll call, 7-0. The board directed staff to prepare the transfer resolution from special contingencies as discussed and to refine ongoing budget implications for the next fiscal cycle.
The sheriff also announced a planned EMT certification program for deputies and local police officers to improve on-scene medical response; staff said they were securing funding for that training.
