Hiring crisis is threat to county sheriff’s office

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By Brenda Erdahl:

The Wright County Sheriff’s Office is facing a scary situation and it has nothing to do with criminal activity. Today’s threat is a hiring crisis that could mean fewer cops on the streets doing what they do best, protecting and serving.

On Tuesday, Nov. 2 at their regular meeting, Wright County Commissioners discussed the challenges the Sheriff’s Office is facing and the hiring climate that Sheriff Sean Deringer believes is only going to get worse.

The spring is normally the best time to recruit new employees because there is a pool of new graduates from police academies, Sheriff Deringer recently explained at a Personnel Committee Meeting. In the spring of 2020, the sheriff’s department had 139 applicants, in 2021 there were only 36. College enrollments and graduates are so low, programs are facing potential closures, he said. It’s a state-wide hiring crisis that extends even into the Metro. Minneapolis and St. Paul Police offices as well as the Minnesota State Patrol currently have more openings than there are qualified candidates.

Commissioner Michael Kaczmarek who worked for the sheriff’s department for 25 plus years, said there are currently more than 60 agencies advertising openings and that is the most he has ever seen.

To read more about the hiring crisis and learn what other topics Commissioners discussed, pick up a copy of the Messenger today!