The Clay County Sheriff’s Department will utilize the state’s Recruitment and Retention Program for the first time to help with officer pay.
Clay County Sheriff Brandon Boone said the county will receive $10,000 for each of the two officers they recently hired who had been out of law enforcement for at least a year. Boone said this kind of money will really help.
“We struggle financially just due to the revenue that comes into our county,” Boone said. “So it’s huge to use. The only downside is at this point, I don’t know how much more it is going to be offered.”
Boone said the program allows him to pay an re-hired offices $1,000 after six months, then $3,000 annually for three years.
Boone said it is common for law enforcement officers to leave the field and enter the private sector. Boone said most of the time they leave because of the salary.
“This allows me to say, ‘hey, if you can work for me and you’ve been out of law enforcement, I can give you a $10,000 bonus over a three year period,'” Boone said. “And you know that speaks volumes.”
Boone said this state funded program is the result of lawmakers listening to sheriffs like him.
“I just think they heard from the leadership of the counties and cities that, you know, we’ve got to do something to help these agencies retain officers,” Boone said. ” We have to have a law enforcement, it’s sad that we do, but we have to keep the peace and keep people safe in our communities.
