Boone County Jail short 13 detention officers
The Boone County Jail is short more than a dozen detention officers right now and current employees are having to work overtime.
It’s a story ABC 17 News has been following since last year. On Friday, ABC 17 News checked back in with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department and learned the jail is short 13 detention officers.
That makes the jail roughly 26 percent understaffed.
“We have several individuals that come in and work overtime,” said Captain Keith Hoskins with the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. “We have cut back on training outside of the agency. We kind of limit vacation and we have individuals that come in sometimes when they shouldn’t come in if they’re sick because our staffing level might drop below minimum staffing that we require.”
Hoskins said there has to be seven detention officers on duty at all times.
He said there are several factors affecting low staffing right now.
“Part of it is qualified applicants,” Hoskins said. “Part of it is we have a strenuous process you have to go through to become an employee of the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.”
It’s a process that Hoskins said takes about 60 days and includes filling out the online application, a writing test, an interview, observation time, a lie detector test, a drug test and a background check.
He said it’s not a position that can be filled by just anyone.
“There are a lot of liabilities that we place on individuals who are working for us, because when you have somebody that’s in custody, you’re liable for their care and concern while they’re in your custody, so that’s a big responsibility and you can’t just have anybody come in and do that job,” Hoskins said.
Starting pay as a detention officer in Boone County is $17.18 an hour with a 65 cent shift differential.
The shifts are 12 hours and officers work 14 out of 28 days.
Hoskins said this staffing shortage is not unique to Boone County law enforcement. He said many agencies statewide are facing the same challenges.
Anyone interested applying for an open position can fill out an application here.
