Cole County Sheriff’s Department eases residency requirement for new deputies

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler said Tuesday that his office is now open to hiring applicants from areas up to 45 minutes away, allowing candidates from Boone to Osage counties to apply without having to relocate.

Wheeler explained during a county commission meeting that this change came after multiple applicants brought up difficulties in finding housing within Cole County and expressed issues in moving school districts.

"We have someone that we're talking to that's really close," Wheeler said. "I'm going to say Holts Summit, he doesn't want to uproot his whole family to move across the river when the housing market in Cole County is pretty tough."

Additionally, Wheeler said that within the area, various departments like Jefferson City Police, Lincoln University, and the State Highway Patrol tend to compete for Cole County applicants, this change opens up more opportunities.

"We already have a 30-minute call back time. I'm going to move that to a 45-minute call back time to the sheriff's department," Wheeler said during the meeting.

This change has been in the works since the beginning of this year. In May 2024, the Cole County Sheriff's Office also increased its salary to help with increasing the number of applicants. Initially, Cole County was down by 21 deputies, now Cole County only has six application slots open.

Wheeler also said both Boone County and Moniteau County sheriffs have deputies living over county lines in Cole County.

"I think it's becoming more common," Douglas County Sheriff Chris Degase said. "If you find that qualified applicant that may just live outside of your county, a lot of counties are going 30, 45 minutes, even up to an hour away. If they can be in the county within that timeframe then they are going ahead and allowing their employment."

Degase said that within Douglas County, it can take an hour to drive from one side to the other so having deputies available across county lines can be a benefit.

"If I did have somebody just across the line in Howell County, 30 minutes away, there wouldn't be an issue on my side of hiring that person just simply for the fact that if there is a call on the east side, they're going to be able to get to it a lot quicker than we would even if we were responding from within county," Degase said.

To account for any added distance, deputies living outside of Cole County will receive their own marked patrol vehicle so they don't have to stop at the station before arriving at a scene.

This change will be in effect for the coming year and evaluated before continuation.