Washington County sheriff says programs reduce turnover rate

The Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO) has extended a state grant to attract and keep qualified deputies.Earlier this week, county commissioners approved a resolution that will add $110,000 to an existing $40,000 state-funded program for hiring and retention.The grant program pays incremental bonuses to law enforcement officers hired from out-of-state or who have been previously certified by Police Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST) and have been out of law enforcement for seven years or more.Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton said the state grant has been "extremely helpful" in attracting and retaining law enforcement officers."For the right person, law enforcement is a rewarding career," Sexton said. "But it takes a servant's heart."He also noted that improvements to pay and benefits for patrol deputies and jailers have also played a key part in keeping the sheriff's department at or near full staffing."What has helped us the most have been the raises in the last few years," Sexton said. "That has kept us competitive with other departments. And the county has very good benefits. It's been a tremendous attraction."The starting hourly pay for a WCSO corrections officer is now $22.31. The starting hourly rate for a patrol deputy, who has been certified by POST, is $22.90.The sheriff said the turnover rate for jailers at the Washington County Detention Center has seen a dramatic decrease."Our jail is at full staffing and we have applicants in the queue waiting for jobs," he said. "We have three unfilled portions in the patrol division."Sexton said in 2023, the WCSO had 256 employees with a turnover rate of 35.5%. In 2024, that turnover rate dropped to 24.9% with 273 employees.He said at full staffing, the WCSO would currently have 292 employees."Another good thing with with the lower turnover rate is we have cut down on comp time," the sheriff said Wednesday. "We don't have deputes having to cover a shift of a vacant position."The extended state hiring and retention grant provides a $10,000 bonus for a qualified out-of-state hire. The bonus is paid in four increments, which are broken down to $1,000 for completion of the first six months, $3,000 for the next 12 months, $3,000 after the next 12 months and $3,000 for reaching 36 months of employment.In-state hires see a $8,000 bonus paid in increments beginning with $3,000 for the first 12 months, $2,500 for the next 24 months and $2,500 after 36 months on the job.Sexton said he hopes the state program, as well as maintaining a competitive pay and bonus package, will result in more officers sticking around for a retirement benefit that the County Commission approved at his department's request earlier this week.Commissioners approved a resolution that will allow law enforcement officers, who retire after 30 years of service, to keep their service weapon.The sheriff said the gesture, which is a common practice at other law enforcement agencies nationwide, is just one way of recognizing deputies for their years of service."Instead of getting a gold watch, we let them keep their service pistol," Sexton said.