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Board questions deputy pay after hiring private security officers
Summary
Rutherford County DSS board members asked whether the county should continue paying a $63,000 deputy salary while a private security firm provides on-site coverage, and directed staff to document Apex Security activity and clarify expectations with the sheriff's office.
Chair opened the discussion about the department's on-site security after staff described a new contract with Apex Security Company that provides two rotating officers on campus. Director Rachel Hunt, joining remotely from vacation, described the arrangement and said the contract includes radios that give Apex officers direct contact with the sheriff's department.
The chair raised concerns about overlap between the Apex contract and a sheriff's deputy the county funds: “We're paying $63,000 for a deputy, and the sheriff's office has a civil division,” the chair said, asking whether the county is getting its money's worth. The chair noted that Apex officers are contracted security staff and do not have arrest powers, and asked for documentation of Apex activity by incident counts and contact logs.
Director Rachel Hunt said Apex employees are hired through Apex Security Company and are not sworn deputies, but that the officers have radios to summon law enforcement quickly. Hunt told the board, “Apex is keeping a log of everything that they're doing, and that is good,” and said staff will compile that data to support future contract decisions.
Board members agreed the county should preserve its working relationship with the sheriff's office while avoiding duplication. David, a board member, said the county should determine what the deputy's primary duties are and set clear expectations with the sheriff so that paid deputy time and Apex services are not redundant. Hunt said staff will document Apex activity, operational needs and instances when the sheriff's office responds, and will report back to the board.
The board did not take a formal vote to change the contract at the meeting. Members requested that staff present logs from Apex and a summary of how deputy duties are being assigned to inform potential budget or contract changes.
The next step: staff will collect Apex activity logs and follow up with the sheriff's office to establish clearer performance expectations and report findings to the board at a future meeting.
