Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers has just put out an interesting press release. Usually, when the Sheriff’s Department puts out a release, the sheriff is looking for the public’s help in finding a wanted person. However, on Monday, March 22, a release seemed to be a public message to prospective officers that pay and benefits were improving at the department.
The March 22 press release stated that Rogers “wants to express his concern over the inability to maintain veteran deputies and detention officers largely due to salaries and benefits.” Rogers stated in the release that, under the previous Guilford County Manager, Marty Lawing – who was asked to resign in December – Sheriff’s Department salaries were reduced and raises were withheld. It also stated that benefits were taken away and a pay study that was recommended wasn’t fully funded and was only implemented partially.
Guilford County’s sheriff went on to state that other law-enforcement agencies in the surrounding area have been paying officers better in recent years – and that’s been making it hard for his department to attract and retain deputies.
As of the start of 2021, Guilford County has had a new county manager – Mike Halford and, since early December, he has had a new, Democratic-majority Guilford County Board of Commissioners. Rogers spoke of the improving situation under the new leaders.
“Sheriff Rogers appreciates the efforts of the new County Manager, Michael Halford, Board of Commissioners Chairman Skip Alston and other County Commissioners for reaching out to see what they can do to help with the retention and recruiting issues for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office,” the release states. “County Manager Halford and the County Commissioners did retroactively implement the new Step Plan, and if it continues to be funded, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office will begin to be competitive once again within a few years.”
In recent years, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department has had trouble filling vacancies for both patrol officers and detention officers.
The press release stated that Rogers wants the people of Guilford County to know that he’s working “diligently’ with Halford, Alston and others on ways to keep the trained and best qualified deputies employed with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department.
Rogers stated that, in the past, the department has spent thousands of dollars training officers only to see them take a job with another law enforcement agency.
Didn’t a number of officers get let go or resign when Rogers took office?
Perhaps the secret is that,like any organization,people leave when they don’t like the boss.
I’d leave, too. Hypocrapsy everywhere. Look the salaries & perks in all the desk-jockey cushy jobs in the city and county.
Why would anyone risk their personal safety and abuse, for a couple-three-odd gross dollars a month?
I fails me that common sense is not a virtue with our local administration.
” …the inability to maintain veteran deputies”?
Gee, it couldn’t have anything to do with the new Sheriff and his policies, could it?
Couldn’t possibly have to do with officers fed up and getting the hell out, could it?
A DUH moment. You can’t ‘splain it away.
How about all the money that was spent on and years of experience of all the officers that were dismissed for political reasons? I believe there have been over 100 that were dismissed, left or retired since he took office. Money is not the answer to everything. ( Unless you are a democrat) Job security, job satisfaction and having an administration that you can believe in and trust goes a long way. The thing that will help the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is a new sheriff. Come on 2024.!
B. J. Barnes needs to run again! If he does, you’ll see a lot of people wanting to come back.
Barnes needs to enjoy retirement.
He had a good run. Longer than anyone in the position. This problem isn’t new. Barnes was having the same issues. Don’t blame the Sheriff, sure some may not agree with new policies, etc. but that’s life. Folks have been leaving in droves for several years now. Blame liberal policies and media twists everytime they do a story about policing.
Pay is not the issue for retaining officers! Rogers’ incompetence and inability to lead is the issue! He is out of his league and refused to admit it. The answer that his retention issue is how s immediate resignation!
A Former Guilford County Sheriff ‘s Office Employee
Gee, he has such a cool cowboy get-up look. Doesn’t that draw some interest?
Guilford County does have some issues across the board, at least in the area of emergency services, with pay, benefits, and staffing that are lower than surrounding agencies. It’s been that way for eons. Although they often offer better service and quality of employees, their weak point has been lack of money to compensate them. The County Commissioners have never shared the message with taxpayers that as the County grows so does the demand for the services of EMS, Fire/HazMat, Communications (E-911), Animal Control, Inspections, Sheriff, and all the ancillary services under them. Then there are the Social Services which is an entirely different list, and the Administrative Services – but the funding from property taxes hasn’t really risen to keep up with the actual number of employees needed to staff the jobs to efficiently handle the load put on the system by the actual number of people who now live in the County.
Need proof? Think about how chaotic things got when you had to call in to get a spot for your first COVID shot. Thousands calling in to the number given out that was staffed by less than 10 people. That’s how the County rolls.
The County has had problems staffing Sheriff, EMS, and Communications positions since the 90s because getting qualified individuals to apply is difficult (even more so if quotas need to be met), having the ones who do apply make it through the program is even more difficult, and helping them through their probationary period is another level of difficulty. After a couple of years on the job, many decide to get more education for jobs that pay more and allow them to move into better-paying jobs within the County, other agencies, or the private sector.
The good part about this is that Guilford County has done an amazing job of training lots of great employees. The sad part is that other agencies are getting the benefit of that time and money spent while Guilford is losing people with experience, talent, and life-saving knowledge. You can’t retain employees unless you offer a good benefits package, motivation to stay through pay increases that are meaningful, salaries that are equal to surrounding areas. In this day people aren’t going to just work “for the love of the job” as they once did. It’s too easy to take their skills elsewhere.