Cumberland County is giving Sheriff Ennis Wright $350,000 to help him retain and recruit employees.
Wright told CityView the money will help, but the county needs to offer better benefits in order to attract and keep employees.
The Sheriff’s Office previously told CityView it has 173 vacancies. These include 96 out of 162 positions at the Detention Center, and 77 out of 315 sworn officer positions.
To help the sheriff fill those open slots, the county Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to allocate to the Sheriff’s Office:
- $150,000 to support initiatives to keep existing detention officers at the Cumberland County Detention Center (the county jail).
- $200,000 for an incentive program to attract people with prior law enforcement experience to become deputies at the Sheriff’s Office.
The money comes from Cumberland County’s share of the federal American Rescue Plan, a Biden administration program that Congress approved in 2021 to help the country pull out of the COVID-19 economic crash. The program has sent $57 million to Cumberland County.
The sheriff is to decide the details of the incentive programs. Prior to Monday’s vote, he was already offering a $2,500 hiring bonus to new deputies, detention officers and basic law enforcement training cadets.
“The implementation of a bonus program is a positive initiative to attract new applicants,” Wright said last week in an emailed statement to CityView. “However, it is imperative to establish retention strategies for current employees. We have experienced a loss of skilled and trained officers to neighboring counties due to their offering of more competitive salaries.”
Wright said he would like to offer other benefits to aid in recruitment and retention.
“If the county were to offer medical retirement benefits, this initiative would likely appeal to a significant number of individuals,” he said. “Furthermore, the introduction of a longevity bonus would serve as an additional incentive. It is also noteworthy that surrounding agencies have invested in new equipment, which enhances their attractiveness to potential recruits.”
Senior reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@cityviewnc.com.
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