NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — These are desperate times when it comes to hiring for law enforcement.
So much so, the Davidson County sheriff is taking a radical step in search of quality applicants — one that others are sure to soon follow.
His plan is for part-time officers and it just may be the wave of the future.
Think about this: A few years back, they'd see maybe 200 applicants for 20 jobs at the Davidson County Sheriff's Office.
Today, those same 20 jobs draw barely 30 applicants and only 20 even show.
The sheriff knows something needs to change — and fast.
"We are going after a workforce, you mentioned substitute teachers, these are almost like substitute officers," said Sheriff Daron Hall.
The is sheriff's solution: Substitute or part-time correctional officers.
It's part of his latest recruiting effort for a sheriff's office desperate to find new employees.
"We have 600 officers and 150 vacancies," Hall said.
Sheriff Hall has run into the same problem as everyone else in the marketplace when it comes to hiring new employees these days.
"They don't want long term. They don't want a pension. They want instant gratification and instant work," he explained.
So here's the new pitch: You can come work part time, maybe only two or three days a week in any number of positions and flexible hours.
"They are going to be trained," said Hall. "We will train them through a shadowing program where they come and walk and live with officers and then go into classrooms, instead of eight weeks on front end they will be trained along the way."
Part-time work may be part of the draw. But the sheriff knows the key is that he can offer much higher wages to attract part-time officers.
"It's really fascinating. It was an idea I had because I saw people not appreciating the benefits we were paying all this money for, but they want high-dollar hourly rates," Hall said.
That's what he's offering.
Full-time officers with benefits draw $20 an hour.
Part-time take home $30 an hour.
And, it's working — recruitment is on an upward swing and they're still hiring.
The first recruiting class with part-time employees is expected to begin training next month. The sheriff is still actively hiring for those positions at this time.
