EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 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\u2019s Office work through budget concerns.<\/p>\n
The proposal would allow the Sheriff\u2019s Office to create up to 40 new unfunded detention officer positions each year, according to agenda documents.<\/p>\n
RELATED: El Paso County commissioners revisit sheriff’s budget amid overtime spending concerns<\/a><\/p>\n The staffing issue is tied in part to the way deputy candidates move through training.<\/p>\n Agenda documents say any deputy candidate must serve one year in detention operations before applying for the peace officer academy. <\/p>\n But while candidates attend the academy, they continue to hold their detention officer positions even though they are not able to work jail shifts.<\/p>\n A county presentation says there are two six-month peace officer academies each year. <\/p>\n It also shows 21 detention officers attending the peace officer academy, a situation that creates staffing gaps and adds pressure on overtime spending.<\/p>\n To address those gaps, the Sheriff\u2019s Office, the county Budget and Finance Office, and Human Resources are proposing up to 40 new unfunded positions. <\/p>\n Those positions would only be paid for as salary savings become available within the Sheriff\u2019s Office budget.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Sheriff\u2019s Office said the positions \u201care intended to provide flexibility for staffing management and do not represent an increase in funded positions.\u201d <\/p>\n The office added, \u201cThis approach helps ensure that the Sheriff’s Office can maintain its current authorized detention staffing levels without creating delays in the hiring process.\u201d<\/p>\n Commissioners are expected to discuss the item later this morning.<\/p>\n RELATED: El Paso County to weigh adding up to 40 unfunded detention officer slots per year<\/a><\/p>\n