(The Center Square) – Oklahoma sheriffs told the Senate Public Safety Committee they are losing deputies to agencies that pay more.
Rep. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, led an interim study on deputy salaries, which are considerably lower in rural areas.
Garvin County Sheriff Jim Mullett told the committee he pays his deputies, on average, about $3,300 or $39,600 a year. Jailers make about $2,700 a month.
Other nearby agencies are paying more than $47,000 a year, Garvin said. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol pays more than $51,000 a year.
“I am tired of losing my good people that I train to another agency because I cannot compete,” Mullett said.
Weaver. the former director of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, said the interim study shows how little deputies in some counties are paid.
“One sheriff revealed that his budget only allows him to compensate jailers, dispatchers, and other essential employees at around $10 an hour, with deputies only slightly above that,” Weaver said in a news release. “That is simply not enough for these dangerous and taxing jobs.”
Lawmakers are looking to Texas as an example of how to help rural sheriff’s offices. This year, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 22, which grants sheriff’s offices between $250,000 to $500,000 a year, depending on the county’s population.
The bill requires salary minimums of $75,000 for sheriffs, $45,000 for road deputies and $40,000 for jailers.
Texas Sen. Drew Springer told the committee the cost was about $380 million, about .1% of the state’s budget. Not all of the money goes to the sheriff’s department, Springer said.
“About 35 to 40% goes to our prosecutors because we know when law enforcement catches bad guys, you got to have someone to prosecute,” Springer said.
The issue is jeopardizing public safety, the sheriffs told the committee. Mullett covers 890 square miles with 32 deputies. He said sometimes deputies respond to domestic violence calls alone.
“Oklahomans should be able to call their county sheriff’s department and receive the assistance they need in a timely manner,” Weaver said. “That’s not always possible when there is only one or two officers covering hundreds of square miles at a time.”
The Legislature will consider the interim study during the 2024 session.
This article First appeared in the center square