By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
It took some time but things are beginning to turn around for the Buchanan County Sheriff Department’s officer shortage
A quarter cent tax increase improved last August is helping the department fund new positions as well as increase pay.
Sheriff Bill Puett says that his office is still seeing a shortage, but thanks to the passage of the tax increase things are starting to turn around.
"We're still short, we're still hiring but I will tell you also with that you also have to understand that there are standards that have to be met and we are going to adhere to those standards," Puett tells KFEQ Hotline host Barry Birr. "But we have seen the resignations slow down dramatically and so they were able to take a raise and they can see there's some other incentives there."
A worker shortage that at its worst was 25 employees, is down to 10. and now pay is able to be increased, something the office hasn't seen in almost 25 years.
Puett says while things are beginning to look up now, he's aware that across the board being in law enforcement is a struggle.
"Because law enforcement has been so underpaid for such a long time that everybody is trying to make that move to get them to where they need to be and the pay, and benefits, and some of those things are such huge issues."
Puett says the biggest factor for why the tax increase has worked is the ability to give those pay raises.
"So, this was a significant raise to get them up to market value, mean market value, I mean they're not the top of the scale we were able to put in some step pay in and some other incentives and some of those things," Puett explains. "But I think that the behind-the-scenes issues showed that the community is behind them and that they do see value in what they do."
The tax increase, which had 78% voter approval, was to help the Sheriff's office with pay raises, 17 new positions, as well as introducing step pay.
Puett says currently his office is searching for three or four people to work in the jail and six new deputies, but at its worst he was down 25 employees.