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Sheriff outlines recruitment pressure, training costs and need for modest budget increases
Summary
Brown County's sheriff staff told the council high turnover means the county pays more for training, overtime and equipment; training lines were described as undersized and deputies require specialized schooling that increases overtime and staffing costs.
Sheriff's office officials told the council the department has experienced heavy turnover and that training is a major recurring expense. The chief deputy said the county has spent roughly $125,000 in recent years to train new deputies and that specialized classes (e.g., SRO certification, homicide training) carry significant out-of-pocket costs for travel and overtime.
"Once we get an officer to 3 years and we can start getting them specialized training where they can be trainers, that's what we wanna get," the chief deputy said, arguing the investment improves retention and reduces long-term costs. Council members asked for clearer line-item detail and for staff to provide a five-year projection tying recruitment and retention goals to training investments. Officials also described equipment and vehicle strategies (buying rather than leasing) as ways to reduce operating costs over time.
