Sheriff’s Department hoping for new budget in 2014

LOGAN — Deputies with the Cache County Sheriff’s Office are hoping the Cache County Council will approve pay increases for them, as part of the 2014 budget. So far this year, 20 deputies have left the county for higher paying jobs with other agencies. That is more than 13% of the employees that work for the Sheriff’s department.

Chief Deputy Brian Locke said he and other deputies hope the council will add enough money to next year’s budget to bring salaries closer to what other agencies are paying.

“Over the last several years we have been even behind Logan City quite a ways,” said Locke. “When you look at along the Wasatch front at other agencies, compared to our size, we are some of the lowest paid within the state.”

Locke said the Sheriff’s office looses more than $20,000 in training for each deputy who leaves.

Locke said he thinks the public does not realize what a loss it is to the county when a deputy leaves. Deputy Reed Tanner said in some cases the loss of training dollars is even greater.

“Right now we have one of our SWAT team members that has an offer from Utah Highway Patrol and that guy has had a substantial amount of training put into him,” said Tanner. We’re talking, for a SWAT guy, maybe hundreds of thousands dollars have been spent on him.”

Tanner said in some cases, when a deputy takes a job with another agency he’ll encourage other deputies to follow him.

Chief Deputy Brad Slater said they don’t blame deputies for wanting a higher salary to support their family. Many here are having to work multiple jobs.

“There are families that are working 2 and 3 jobs, for each parent, to try and have something that is not a grandiose home, just a fairly basic home and provide for their family,” said Slater. “They do like staying in the valley.”

Both Slater and Locke said they appreciate what council members have done for the Sheriff’s department. They know pay raises are a sensitive subject. They hope council members will allow salaries to be more comparable with other agencies.

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