EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14/CBS4) — El Paso County commissioners are set to consider a proposal Monday morning aimed at easing staffing shortages at the county jail as the county and the Sheriff’s Office work through budget concerns.
The proposal would allow the Sheriff’s Office to create up to 40 new unfunded detention officer positions each year, according to agenda documents.
RELATED: El Paso County commissioners revisit sheriff’s budget amid overtime spending concerns
The staffing issue is tied in part to the way deputy candidates move through training.
Agenda documents say any deputy candidate must serve one year in detention operations before applying for the peace officer academy.
But while candidates attend the academy, they continue to hold their detention officer positions even though they are not able to work jail shifts.
A county presentation says there are two six-month peace officer academies each year.
It also shows 21 detention officers attending the peace officer academy, a situation that creates staffing gaps and adds pressure on overtime spending.
To address those gaps, the Sheriff’s Office, the county Budget and Finance Office, and Human Resources are proposing up to 40 new unfunded positions.
Those positions would only be paid for as salary savings become available within the Sheriff’s Office budget.
In a statement, the Sheriff’s Office said the positions “are intended to provide flexibility for staffing management and do not represent an increase in funded positions.”
The office added, “This approach helps ensure that the Sheriff’s Office can maintain its current authorized detention staffing levels without creating delays in the hiring process.”
Commissioners are expected to discuss the item later this morning.
RELATED: El Paso County to weigh adding up to 40 unfunded detention officer slots per year
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