Recruiting and Manpower
Currently, there are approximately 30 deputies eligible for retirement in the Sheriff’s Office. Over the years, the agency has not kept pace with the population growth in Harford County. In 2004, only ten new patrol deputies were authorized, and twenty in 2005. It will take nearly a year before the new deputies are out patrolling on their own. The 30 that will retire are authorized positions, so they will also be replaced, however, it will take time to recruit and train new deputies to replace them. This does not even take into account the future growth of our county. These figures also do not take into account deputies who have already retired from other agencies, and may not be planning to stay on to reach full retirement at this agency. Although patrol units tend to be the most visible part of the agency, many other areas, including corrections, victim services, and detectives who investigate crimes are also under manned. The growth of manpower within the agency has not matched the increase in population in Harford County. This is a vicious cycle that will continue until leadership and decisive action is taken to deal with this crisis.
Understaffing leads to a multitude of problems; including longer response times, decreasing quality of service, and poor morale. Deputies- who are already overworked and underpaid- will be forced to work even more overtime- this will undoubtedly result in poor morale, as well as a strain on the families and personal lives of deputies. Forced overtime should not be the norm for those who are protecting our community. Officer fatigue will result in a failure to be alert, compromising the safety of both deputies and the community. Additionally, this will put the agency at an increased risk of litigation. Deputies display a high level of dedication and professionalism daily- they are not to blame for these problems. The problem has been a failure to plan ahead. All of us depend on emergency services; therefore all may suffer the consequences if the present course of action is not altered quickly.
We need not suffer these consequences if we plan ahead for these, and other problems that the agency will invariably face. We can no longer simply “put out the fires” of today without planning for the future. I am convinced that Harford County cannot wait for a few more elections, or for another tragedy to occur before we act. The time to act is NOW. This is why I’m running for Sheriff of Harford County.
I realize that only the county council and the executive can authorize new full-time deputies, however, when only fractions of the requested deputies are authorized, we need not simply “give up” and take no further action until the next budget comes along. Steps can be taken to minimize the impending blow to personnel strength NOW, while at the same time being fiscally responsible:
1.) Expand use of the Auxiliary Deputy program:
In the past, the Sheriff’s Office has had an auxiliary program, but it is no longer used in a way to bring maximum benefit to the county. These volunteer deputies, sworn officers with limited powers, can be used to a much greater degree than they currently are. More would be trained in various tasks, including, but not limited to, first aid, CPR, event security, assisting with accidents, traffic control, helping disabled motorists, verifying sex offender addresses, filling out reports, and other less life- threatening tasks. The goal would be to “free up” full time deputies to respond to calls for service, not to replace them. Costs will include training, uniforms, insurance, and equipment. Using older equipment, such as vehicles, can minimize these costs. Vehicles would be obtained by retiring existing high mileage units early from full time patrol. The volunteer spirit is great in Harford County, and I’m confident that many would enjoy serving the community in this way. Many agencies, including the Bel Air, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, and Howard County Police Departments already use auxiliaries in various capacities to assist with personnel strength.
2.) Form a Reserve Deputy program:
These deputies will be sworn with full police powers, fully trained professionals. Many will likely be retirees from this agency who still want to help occasionally; others may belong to other agencies. This would be another low cost option while still maintaining a high quality of service to the community. They would maintain their training as necessary, but only be called in for duty on an as- needed basis at busy times. These deputies would also be scheduled to work during planned events, such as the LPGA tour. In 2005, agency personnel could not take leave during this event. Deputies shouldn’t be deprived of family time due to a lack of planning. Reserve deputies would also be beneficial during flu season when many deputies call in sick. Further, reserve deputies would be an extremely valuable asset during a disaster. There are many agencies in the southern United States that use a reserve officer program, and this is a proven and effective tool in aiding full time officers in performance of their duties.
3.) Form a Cadet program:
The agency has not been able to recruit enough qualified candidates to meet current needs. With the base realignment coming, we need to be prepared to recruit and train new deputies quickly. The formation of a cadet program would be an excellent tool to accomplish that goal. With a cadet program, we would always have new recruits “in the hopper” waiting to fill vacancies within the agency. This program would also allow greater accountability, because cadets would already have a record of their performance prior to becoming a full-time deputy. In addition, cadets could be helpful in the community and provide assistance to full time deputies, much like auxiliary deputies.
These things would certainly be of great benefit to the community, putting our emergency responders in a greater state of readiness, encouraging greater citizen participation, and improving recruiting.
Understaffing doesn’t just affect one area of the county. Upon taking office, I will immediately go to work to eliminate this serious problem. It will be one of the main priorities of my administration. The current administration’s “all-or-nothing” approach to solving the manpower issues simply is not working. The current sheriff has had seven years to work on this problem; I believe new leadership is required soon in order to reach a solution.
Committee to Elect Dave Tritt · Authority Brian K. Powell, Treasurer.