GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — How do you recruit police officers and deputies, and keep them around when salaries are low, the risk is high, and public perception is unfavorable?
That's the question Greensboro Police Chief Brian James and Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers are asking themselves.
"If we don't recruit and retain the right people, then we're not going to be a very good department," Chief James said at a Greensboro City Council work session on Tuesday.
"Since I've been the sheriff here since 2018, we've had problems with retaining deputies," Sheriff Rogers echoed on Wednesday.
In a strategic plan outlined at the work session, GPD reports about 40 vacancies; 34 sworn vacancies and 9 civilian vacancies to be exact.
Rogers said the sheriff's office has 17-23 vacancies, plus a need for detention officers.
"For detention services we are 44 short," Rogers explained. "At one time we were over 75 short so we've done really well with hiring as well as putting out the recruiting information."
Sheriff Rogers said the main setback is low salaries, starting at nearly $39,000.
"People are always looking now, they're chasing the dollar and I understand that," Rogers said."The young men and women are looking for salary increases, better benefits as well."
"We have to certainly look at annual comparisons of salary benefits packages to surrounding agencies," Chief James said.
Greensboro Police also point to the past year, writing in its report: 'Public perception of law enforcement also contributes to the barrier to effective recruitment.'
"The last year and a half we've seen a tremendous turnaround with people actually wanting to go in the public sector to work and they're getting away from law enforcement and it's because they can make more money doing other things," Rogers added.
Then there's the inherent risk of being a first responder.
"Is risk a deterrent for people wanting to come into the profession? I believe so but not just that."
With virtual career fairs and a new focus on mental health assistance, both leaders hope to hire and keep more qualified individuals.
In the meantime, both stressed they're still keeping residents safe.
"Response times have definitely gone down, we continue to do very well our team works hard," Rogers said.
Rogers said he asked commissioners in the new budget for more deputies on the sworn side.
"So we can better secure our courthouses," Rogers explained. "If you remember a couple months ago we had a shooting right across the street so I want to secure our courthouses and I want to make sure citizens throughout guilford county as a whole are safe."
Chief James also has a safety plan in place. His department compiled a three-year strategic plan to combat violent crime. It's the first strategic plan the department has made since 2014 according to James. You can read the full 28-page report here.