Sherrif Seeking Deputy Pay Raise

RISON - As finding and keeping deputies for the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department has nearly reached a crisis point, the Cleveland County Quorum Court agreed to a request by Sheriff Jack Rodgers to look at raising salaries. Sheriff Rodgers made the request during a special called meeting of the quorum court last Thursday evening at the Hall-Morgan Veterans Building in Rison. While County Judge Jimmy Cummings originally called the meeting to address the trash can issue, Rodgers said he asked the judge to be included on the agenda as well. Rodgers asked the quorum court to do two things during the meeting: first, allow him to use some part-time deputies to fill in the current gaps, and second, look at increasing the pay for deputies. As of last Thursday, Rodgers told the court he was trying to fill three vacant deputy positions. To fill those vacancies, he said was seeking some certified deputies to fill in and work parttime while the department searches for full-time officers. He said existing officers from neighboring law enforcement agencies could be an option. At full staff, Rodgers said his department has nine deputies, which includes himself. While it is the not the only reason it has become so difficult to find and keep officers, Rodgers said pay is a major factor in the turnover they are seeing. "The can go to work to be a bank teller for more than I can pay," he said. He also told the court that the shift work and being on-call makes it difficult to keep deputies, especially when their spouses prefer them to be at home. In an interview after the meeting, Rodgers said it is a problem that many rural law enforcement agencies are seeing. "It's not just here from talking to the other sheriffs," he said. "They are having the same problem." Rodgers said the starting pay for a deputy in the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department is about the lowest in the region. While he did not have exact ...