Sheriff: Pay Raises Needed to Keep Deputies

McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden says his department needs more money to hire and keep deputies.

At a budget workshop Wednesday evening, Hayden made a presentation to the McCracken County Fiscal Court about current and future manpower shortages that he says will cripple the department’s ability to maintain current services.  

Hayden presented a report on a study that details the department's budgetary woes. He said that under the department's current pay structure, there is no incentive for deputies to stay. He noted that the Paducah Police Department and many other agencies pay their officers on average $10,000 per year more, with better benefits and with less workload.

Hayden said that three officers have already left the department for other jobs within the past month, and at least 11 additional deputies are reportedly about to leave. Hayden said this will severely impact his agency's ability to serve most of its functions.

No decision about the budget was made at Wednesday's meeting.