Sheriff Brett Myers says Whitman County is short-staffed, asks commission to speed hiring

Sheriff Brett Myers told the Whitman County Civil Service Commission on Jan. 26 that his office is struggling to keep officers on patrol and will need to fill multiple positions in the coming weeks. "He is having difficulty having enough staffing on the road, with one person at the academy, another leaving for training and one resigning from his position in a couple of weeks," Myers said, describing a staffing squeeze that he said includes a correction officer moving into a deputy role and the need to hire at least one—and possibly two—new correction officers.

Myers said he would also like to fill a sergeant position eventually. He asked the commission for suggestions on ways to accelerate recruitment and hiring. Commissioner Cheri Kramer responded that the commission should check the Civil Service Rules and the DSA contract language to avoid conflicts before any expedited hiring procedures are implemented. "Cheri brought up that we would need to check the Rules and the DSA Contract verbiage so that there are no conflicts between the two, in order to expedite the hiring process," Kramer said.

Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes: the commission agreed to examine the relevant rules and contract provisions and return with guidance on whether the hiring timeline can be shortened without violating contract terms or civil service procedures. No formal vote or policy change on hiring procedures was taken at the Jan. 26 meeting.