Four new positions may not be enough to stop turnover at Cole County Sheriff’s Office

Turnover will likely remain a problem at the Cole County Sheriff’s Office, even after four new positions were approved by Cole County Commissioners this week, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office will soon hire three jailers and one detective to alleviate what Sheriff White describes as “a very stretched department.”

The decision comes six months after initial budget approval for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

The sheriff’s office also asked commissioners for longevity pay raises at the beginning of the year in hopes to retain more employees. The department is waiting to hear on the raises as the commission does a county-wide salary study.

Since the start of 2015, the sheriff’s office has lost at least 24 employees. Many left for higher paying jobs, and the shortage took a toll on other remaining at the department, according to Capt. John Wheeler.

“Law enforcement right now, we’re hurting for people to apply for us, to come work for us in the first place,” Wheeler said. “And then second issue we have is retaining.”

Wheeler said many of the jailers were getting burnt out on working over time.

He said the sheriff’s office will now have to ask the commission for more money in the overtime budget for the remainder of the year.

The sheriff’s office has had an increase in sexual and electronic crimes. The additional detective will help lessen the amount of overtime and burnout in that area as well, according to Wheeler.

The sheriff’s office is hopeful the commission will approve its request for the longevity pay raises after the salary study is completed.

“I’m hoping that maybe we were the catalyst, and maybe we can get this going and start changing some of the salaries that we have in line right now and be able to retain some of these people that are leaving,” Wheeler said.

The search for employees to fill the new positions will begin immediately.

Presiding commissioner Sam Bushman told ABC 17 News Tuesday that the decision to add the positions was made because of the department’s need for new staff and the extra funding that the county is receiving from housing federal inmates in the county jail.

White said the action provides a more than $120,000 monthly revenue stream.