Sheriff Worries About Future Of Road Patrols

from WWNY TV

Thursday, February 01, 2007, 6:33pm


Jefferson County Sheriff John Burns said road patrols could come to an end someday because he's losing manpower.

Burns said he has lost three deputies because the sheriff's department offers salaries that are lower than incomes offered by other law enforcement agencies.

"I'm not able to hire deputies. They're just going to come in, they're going to look at the wages, they're going to look at the retirement package. Then they're going to say, 'I'm not staying here' or they're going to come here to get hired, get trained, then leave for other higher paying jobs," said Burns.

According to Burns, deputies start out earning less than $30,000 per year.

State troopers earn nearly double that amount, while Watertown city police make $12,000 to $15,000 more than deputies, Burns said.

Burns had requested as many as ten new positions in the county's 2007 budget.

The sheriff wanted four new deputies, more detectives and corrections officers.

Lawmakers denied his request.

"We feel that in Jefferson County, we pay a decent wage to our employees and that includes the sheriff's department and everybody else," said County Legislature Chairman Kent Burto.

Burns said road patrols won't end any time soon. However, he worries about the future if he's unable to replace and hire new deputies.


WTF was the county legislature thinking?? In 1986/87 I took two civil service tests one for sheriff's deputy in Jefferson county and one for the United States Postal Service. I was an MP while in the Army so a deputy was the natural progression or so I thought.

Even back then I remember being told at my interview for the post office that the starting wage was $9.01 and although I don't remember what the pay was for deputies I do specifically remembering that (somewhat jokingly) that they would still qualify for welfare.

Who in their right mind wouldn't use the training as a spring board to a better paying police position in another jurisdiction. It just doesn't make sense that in this day and age that they start out less than $30k. They need to at least be comparable to that of the surrounding jurisdictions.