November 1, 2022 Special Called Workshop Meeting Deputy Retention and Recruitment

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On November 1, 2022, Captain Jonathan Berry and Lieutenant Gary Roberts presented the Sheriff's Office recruitment and retention challenges to county leadership, detailing significant staffing losses across Texas law enforcement and Hood County's competitive disadvantages in compensation compared to surrounding agencies and municipalities. The presentation identified critical operational impacts including average response times of 17–21 minutes, unacceptable dispatch delays, and insufficient staffing ratios that cannot safely meet current demand even at full capacity. County officials discussed three tiered pay scale proposals and identified $300,000–$500,000 in available funding to address immediate concerns through holiday pay and compensatory time payoff, with commitment to continued coordination on implementation. Public comment from residents and retired law enforcement officers emphasized the urgency of maintaining competitive compensation to retain deputies and ensure community safety.

• Meeting opening and presentation introductionCaptain Jonathan Berry and Lieutenant Gary Roberts presented law enforcement retention and recruitment information to county leadership.
• State of law enforcement sector and agency challengesLaw enforcement across Texas has faced significant changes in the past four to five months with fewer academy graduates, increased retirements, and staff departures.
• Sheriff's Office administrative goals and organizational structureThe Sheriff's Office operates with established administrative goals and a defined organizational hierarchy totaling up to 55 sworn positions.
• Three core staffing concerns: retention, recruiting, and staffing levelsThe Sheriff's Office identified retention, recruiting, and future staffing levels as the primary challenges affecting operational safety and service delivery.
• Reasons for deputy departures and controllable factorsDeputy losses stem from multiple causes including salary, burnout, career changes, family reasons, and benefits issues, though the agency can only directly control compensation and benefits.
• Competing agencies within the regionHood County competes for deputies with surrounding agencies including Erath County, Tarrant County, Johnson County, and multiple municipal police departments.
• Hood County recruiting flyer and incentivesHood County currently offers a starting pay of $51,000 with up to $3,600 in certificate pay and various specialty unit opportunities.
• Lateral transfer pay disadvantagesExperienced deputies from surrounding agencies are offered significantly higher lateral entry pay (70,000–88,000) compared to Hood County's maximum lateral rate of $56,000.
• Comparative municipal pay structuresMultiple smaller Texas municipalities offer significantly higher starting and experienced pay than Hood County Sheriff's Office.
• Tarrant County and regional pay comparisonTarrant County recently recruited a Hood County deputy and offers significantly higher compensation including retention bonuses and overtime pay.
• Granbury Police Department competitive analysisGranbury PD represents the most direct competitor for the same applicant pool and operates with planned pay increases.
• Recruitment flyer volume and TCOLE job posting landscapeApproximately 60 to 80 agency recruiting flyers are available on the TCOLE website simultaneously, creating an extensive competitive job market.
• Salary comparison chart and overtime pay variationsA comprehensive salary comparison chart shows Hood County's relative position against benchmark agencies, with significant gaps particularly in overtime compensation.
• Incentive programs beyond base salaryCompeting agencies offer diverse supplemental compensation programs including equipment buyback programs, sign-on bonuses, and specialty pays.
• Comp time system mechanics and deputy choiceOfficers at agencies with overtime systems can elect comp time during initial employment transition period, then shift to straight overtime pay as they build vacation and comp banks.
• Five-year deputy pay comparison and recruitment impactAverage five-year Hood County deputy earn $53,000 compared to $70,000 average at competing agencies—a $17,000 annual gap.
• Hood County benefits and limitationsHood County offers comp time, generous certificate pay, employer-paid health insurance for employee, and longevity pay, but lacks competitive incentives in other areas.
• Regional salary escalation and relocation incentivesTemple PD offers exceptional compensation including $70,000–$80,000 starting pay plus $25,000 combined sign-on and relocation assistance for certified lateral officers.
• Non-salary factors affecting recruitment and retentionBeyond compensation, societal attitudes, media coverage, burnout, stress, and eligibility requirements affect the applicant pool and retention.
• Staffing ratios and comparison analysis methodologyHood County has significantly lower officer-to-resident ratios compared to Granbury PD and neighboring counties based on 2019 population data.
• Current operational constraints at reported full-staffing levelsEven at reported full-staffing levels, Hood County cannot safely perform current operational demands.
• Call response times in Hood County 2022Average response times range from 17 to 21 minutes for critical calls including assaults, burglaries, and prowler incidents.
• Dispatch supervisor on call response dynamicsDispatch supervisor Sean McGuire explained that response time metrics are pulled from Spillman system and vary based on priority call hierarchy.
• Critical incident example: pursuit and suicidal subjectDuring a recent pursuit involving three deputies and another on active call, a suicidal subject call resulted in 38-minute dispatcher phone time—described as unacceptable.
• Sean McGuire dispatch supervisor identification and roleSean McGuire identified as Dispatch Supervisor overseeing day-to-day dispatch operations.
• Response time context: deputies in field 24/7Deputies do not wait at office for calls; they remain in field 24/7 and perform paperwork during brief office visits before returning to patrol.
• High-priority emergency calls and speed contextLarge majority of response calls are lights-and-sirens emergencies with extended travel distances across county.
• Comp time policy as double-edged staffing swordComp time creates a net-zero staffing effect where deputies taking comp time are replaced by others working comp time, producing no operational improvement.
• Comp time accumulation sourcesComp time accumulates from court subpoenas, mandatory training, vacations, sick time, long-term injuries, FMLA leave, and specialized unit assignments.
• Current staffing constraints and case backlogThe Sheriff's Office operates below full capacity with four deputies per shift, resulting in reactive call-handling and substantial investigator caseloads.
• National staffing benchmarks and liability concernsNational standards indicate the department requires approximately twice its current staffing level to meet recommended law enforcement ratios.
• Proposed pay plan options and structureThe Sheriff's Office presented three tiered pay scale proposals to address recruitment and retention through adjusted compensation levels.
• Pay scale inequities and correction measuresCurrent compensation structure contains anomalies where tenure does not align with rank, requiring systematic correction.
• Overtime and compensatory time policy alternativesThe current compensatory time system creates IOUs that undermine morale and staffing, with three potential replacement models discussed.
• Current recruitment crisis and pipelineEight open positions exist with five candidates currently in background checks with competing agencies, waiting to see what Hood County offers.
• Retention pay and immediate relief measuresImmediate relief strategies include paying off accumulated comp time and providing holiday premium pay to demonstrate commitment.
• Jail staffing success as retention modelThe Jail's recent pay increase demonstrates the effectiveness of competitive compensation; a $10,000 raise in October 2021 significantly improved recruitment.
• Budget and funding strategyCounty officials identified approximately $300,000 to $500,000 in available funding through sales tax surplus and benefits calculations.
• Immediate action items: holiday pay and comp timeOfficials committed to calculating and implementing holiday premium pay and comp time payoff as quick wins before formal pay plan adoption.
• Prioritization of tenure-based pay progressionLeadership emphasized ensuring that deputies' compensation reflects both length of service and progression within their specific role.
• Court commitment to continued collaboration and implementationCounty officials committed to ongoing coordination to finalize and implement pay and retention strategies.
• Closing remarks and acknowledgment of concernsThe presenter concluded the staff presentation, acknowledging that the problems have been identified and are now open for public discussion.
• Public comment from Paul PettyA Hood County resident and former law enforcement officer owning a forensic investigation business urged the commissioners to keep their promises to the sheriff's deputies.
• Public comment from Grant WoodA citizen questioned why this staffing crisis was occurring in 2022 and characterized it as negligence, while asking whether outside agencies receive compensation for backup support to Hood County.
• Public comment from Daryl GilbertA retired law enforcement officer with 40–41 years of experience argued that deputies deserve higher pay reflecting their value, noting that even reserve deputies struggle with insufficient backup support.
• AdjournThe commissioners indicated consensus that action is needed and adjourned the workshop.