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Sheriff says new hires and training program will fill deputy shortages; commissioners approve training agreement
Summary
Mills County approved a peace officer training reimbursement agreement to train a recent hire; the sheriff told the court the department issued roughly 1,300 citations in 2025 and is short-staffed, and commissioners discussed retention, training costs and alternatives such as hiring already-certified officers.
Sheriff told the court the department has used a local academy hiring-and-training program to fill vacancies and that the latest recruit will enter that program this week. The court considered a peace officer training reimbursement agreement that obligates the county to cover academy costs in exchange for a term of service.
"This 1, actually, gentlemen, is the we're now full, so this is our latest hire," the Sheriff said, describing the county’s long-standing hire-and-train approach. During discussion, the Sheriff summarized recent workload figures: "So 2025, that total is about 1,300" citations, and dispatchers are handling roughly 200 calls per month.
Commissioners asked about academy costs, training reimbursements, whether the program requires a four-year employment commitment, and whether hiring already-certified officers or offering signing bonuses would be more cost-effective. The Sheriff acknowledged both recruitment and retention pressures and said the contract ties several recent hires to service terms.
After discussion, a motion to approve the peace officer training reimbursement agreement passed. Commissioners directed staff to monitor training costs and retention and to report back during budget discussions.
Next steps: county and sheriff’s office will implement the training reimbursement agreement per the approved terms and include staffing needs in upcoming budget deliberations.
