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County prosecutor says office is critically understaffed, urges pay-grid changes to retain deputies
Summary
Pat, the county prosecutor, told the council the office has roughly 31 authorized prosecutor positions but only about 19 staffed in the criminal section, leaving the office overwhelmed with tens of thousands of case-related tasks; Pat proposed raising the pay grid and specialty stipends to recruit and retain staff.
Pat, the Tippecanoe County prosecutor, briefed the council on July 14 about a severe staffing shortfall in the prosecutor's office and urged the council to consider budget changes to make pay competitive with other Indiana counties.
Pat said 31 positions are funded but the criminal section currently has about 19 prosecutors on staff, a shortfall of roughly 9–10 deputies. He described an overwhelming workload: last year the office filed 5,599 criminal cases, handled more than 10,000 investigative referrals from police and reported a combined workload metric he summarized as 27,811 cases for 18 attorneys. "We're understaffed," he said. "If you don't have people to read cases and go to court, they can't get read."
Pat detailed market pressures that push experienced deputies to private practice or better‑paying counties and law firms. He cited local comparisons where neighboring counties pay substantially higher top salaries for deputy prosecutors and suggested a revised pay grid with starting ranges of $100,000 to $120,000 for lower-level prosecutors and higher ranges for felony trial attorneys, plus specialty stipends for high‑stress duties.
Pat framed the issue as a public-safety and system-speed concern: delays in prosecution can cascade into longer jail stays, frustrated police, and pressure on public-defender resources. He asked the council to consider competitive salary adjustments as a long‑term retention and recruitment strategy and said personnel and budget discussions should continue with the personnel committee.
What comes next: Council members moved to continue prosecutor personnel appropriations and refer them to the personnel committee for review; formal budget changes would require committee recommendation and a future vote.
