By Ishani Desai
The Bakersfield Californian
KERN COUNTY, Calif. — Despite zero takers for the Kern County Sheriff’s Office’s $25,000 hiring bonus, which has been offered since 2020, Sheriff Donny Youngblood is optimistic about renewing this deal with the Kern County Board of Supervisors for the next three years, he said Monday.
The agreement between the supervisors and the Kern Law Enforcement Association to provide a $25,000 bonus to newly hired lateral deputies expires in June. A request to continue this offer until 2025 will be heard this afternoon by the board.
Lateral deputies are transfers from other agencies, as opposed to being graduates fresh from the academy. New deputies can only start working 12 to 15 months after their graduation, and the KCSO continues to lose employees during this time, which is why the transfers are necessary, the sheriff said.
“There’s a severe impact on our communities that we serve” when deputy positions remain unfilled, Youngblood said.
Youngblood added he gets calls every day from rural substations requesting coverage. At times, a rural substation might not have deputies working at 3 a.m. and substations must double their jurisdiction to ensure service is provided, he said.
This year, the agency has lost 48 people to retirement or other reasons, with 24 new hires. About one month ago, 145 deputy positions remained unfilled, he said. An exact figure was not immediately available Monday.
Brian Andrews, president of the Kern County Detentions Officers Association, said county supervisors have increased deputies’ pay, which has bolstered the attractiveness of the job. Though not a single person has accepted the hiring bonus, any boost to their hiring capabilities helps, he added.
“I believe the county has the right idea ... (so) it puts the least amount of financial burden on the taxpayer,” Andrews said. “We’re in such a staffing crisis, anything is going to help.”
Youngblood cited this pay increase, the signing bonus and applicants’ unhappiness with their current location as reasons why he is optimistic a lateral transfer will accept the bonus.
The sheriff said the money will be distributed over five years to retain the deputy. In addition, the county will provide $5,000 for relocation expenses for those moving from 50 or more miles away, he added.
“If we don’t get into the lateral arena, we’re gonna keep getting smaller and smaller, and I don’t have people to fill positions,” Youngblood added. To fill spots, a combination of both lateral transfers and newly sworn-in deputies from the academy are necessary, he said.
Kern County also released a video Feb. 9 that asks Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to transfer to Kern County, in response to the proposal of an LA County Board of Supervisors measure that would allow for the firing of deputies who refused to comply with a vaccine mandate. Youngblood said about 10 potential deputies have submitted an application. They still have to undergo a background check before an offer could be made and then accepted, he added.
Youngblood said it’s hard for anyone at the moment to hire employees. Joining law enforcement is a “double whammy” because it’s a thankless job, due to criticism from the public, media and at times, the department heads, he added.
Andrews said offering pay increases and proper retirement packages will ensure these deputies stay, and not leave for better paying positions along the coast or other parts of the Central Valley.
“It’s a very, very hard challenge,” Andrews said. “It’s an uphill battle.”
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