News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office continues to struggle finding dispatchers and correctional officers.
Sheriff Brandon Boone said three full-time positions remain open, leaving the jail understaffed.
“We are going to have to be competitive in the pay,” Boone said. “I’m not saying we can pay what some of the bigger counties such as Putnam County. I mean we obviously can’t pay what Cookeville and Putnam County pays, but we do have to be somewhat competitive for our size, and we’re not.”
Boone said the county has to change something, especially with a new jail coming. Boone said a study showed 26 new employees will be needed to operate it.
“I can’t find to to three people right now,” Boone said. “So, what makes us think we can find 26 people to staff a new jail? We got to address some issues, the county as a whole, before we move forward with this process. Our jail goes out to bid as planned right now in January of next year. We got some obstacles to overcome before then.”
Boone said he has approached the commission multiple times about staffing issues in the past. Boone said the office and county officials need to sit down and find a solution for something that might stem from more than just money.
“Sometimes pay doesn’t keep people either,” Boone said. “I’ve known some jobs that people make over 20 dollars an hour and they can’t find people. I think it is easy to say it is the pay when sometimes it is not. I think it is just finding what people enjoy doing and corrections and dispatch is a profession and it takes a certain person to do that work.”
Boone said in his opinion, sometimes people are also pushed away from working in law enforcement based on today’s climate. Boone said his office is just one of many that face hiring issues in rural areas and Clay County.
