Local sheriff's offices see deputies move for more money | News
Title (Max 100 Characters)

Winter Haven, Florida -- There seems to be a talent drain going on in the region when it comes to law enforcement.
Deputies from smaller, lower paying-departments are being lured to larger, higher-paying agencies.
Just this past week, on the popular police forum Leoaffairs.com, a conversation says Tampa Police are "...about to hire a lot of Polk Co. S.O. deputies." It says "Roughly 20 or so" were present at TPD's recently-offered physical test.
Just four Polk deputies were hired away by TPD last year.
"It's all about the Benjamins," comes a response on the website, "..people are tired of being undercompensated."
"We don't find that we're losing an inordinate amount of deputies," said Polk Sheriff Grady Judd, "What we find is we can't recruit enough good deputies."
Sheriff Grady Judd says his department usually loses workers at half the average rate, but an improving economy is admittedly creating temptation among some deputies.
Better-paying departments are suddenly filling several positions held open the past few years.
"And that normal movement that would have always occurred is just now starting back," said Sheriff Judd.
The longer-term threat to public saftey, says Judd, is the small percentage of young people expressing interest in law enforcement. As members of his department retire, the number of qualified applicants will be shrinking, says Judd.
In Pasco County they're dealing with a possible deputy depletion as well.
Neighboring Pinellas County S.O. is targeting Pasco, luring deputies who have already been vetted and trained with bigger salaries and even signing bonuses.
Judd says the cost of recruiting, vetting and training can be $40,000 to $60,000.
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco says he doesn't begrudge his employees.
"When you can go to Pinellas for a lot more money I understand that," he says.
With a wave of retirement openings coming, Nocco is asking Pasco commissioners for more money to compete but critics say it's a ploy to bolster the sheriff's budget.
But Nocco says it just makes sense when you consider the costs of replacing deputies who leave.
"You're actually losing more money by not keeping the people here and compensating them, than for us to have to re-hire and re-train somebody new," said Nocco.
Both Sheriffs says someone eventually fill the openings at a lower pay rate, but with neighboring agencies offering as much as $10,000 more per year, both Sheriff Judd and Nocco also say they will eventually need to pay more money to attract qualified applicants.
You may also like...
Underwater Secret: Hidden caves beneath Weeki Wachee
Rollercoaster Rescue: 16 stranded after ride malfunction
Car Crash tragedy: USF students killed in interstate wrong-way crash
Hungry Sinkhole: Hole opens beneath Corvette museum, swallows 8 cars
Be my McValentine: Romantic reservations at McDonald's
Card Game Murder: Man sentenced for Magic: The Gathering killing
Treason? Secret Service visits candidate who says Obama should hang
Sasquatch on Tour: "Dead Bigfoot" on display in Texas
Here kitty, kitty: Lion escapes enclosure at Pasco sanctuary
#ShortYellows: Florida quietly shortened yellow lights
Kittens shot: Officer shoots kittens in front of children
Popular photo galleries:
Faces of Meth: Devastating before and after photos of meth abusers
Trayvon Martin Shooting: Trayvon Martin crime scene photos and George Zimmerman injury photos
Hooters Winners: Winners of the 2013 Hooters swimsuit pageant
Rejected: Funny Florida license plates rejected by the DMV***warning graphic***
Deadly sinkhole: Home collapses, man dies in giant sinkhole
Popular Databases:
Florida Sex Offenders: Look up sex offenders in any Florida neighborhood here
Restaurant Inspections: Look up inspection reports for any Florida restaurant here