Sheriff's Offices Begins Staff Cut-Backs

Effective March 1, 2014, the Sheriff's Office will have new shifts with fewer employees.  Sheriff Bob Wolfe stated, "Due to the loss of the Public Safety Levy in November and pending budget reductions this July, several employees are leaving for other law enforcement agencies prior to scheduled reductions in July." Deputy David Mills has accepted a job with the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office starting in March, and Sergeant Dustin Newman has accepted a job with the Baker City Police Department.  "During the campaign to pass the Public Safety Levy last fall, I was very upfront about the probability employees would start seeking employment at other agencies without any stabilized funding," stated Sheriff Bob Wolfe. 

With the loss of these two employees, along with several other deputies putting in applications, there is the continued struggle of trying to cover shifts, which have been reduced to 20 hours per day since March of last year.  To further add to staffing problems, three additional patrol members are off on extended medical leave putting staffing for patrol down by five deputies. 

Sheriff Wolfe states, "We are now in a critical situation for staffing.  We can no longer fill shifts with overtime due to cost, and in general, no employees available to work overtime.  Our response to critical incidents will be delayed at best, this is not in the best interest of those citizens calling 911, but we just do not have enough employees to respond promptly."

Even in the jail we are at minimum staffing and still have several employees unavailable to work due to medical issues.  While the jail staffing is holding steady, should the need arise, we would put patrol deputies in the jail to cover immediate needs in order to keep the jail adequately staffed for the safety and security of the jail and staff. 

Deputy David Mills has been filling a vacant shift since last July, which will be eliminated this July due to budget reductions.  Sergeant Dustin Newman has been with the Sheriff's Office since April of 2001 and promoted to sergeant in February of 2009.  Sheriff Wolfe stated, "The loss of these employees will have a huge impact on our patrol operations, including the loss of training and experience."