County Adopts Policy to Keep Deputies on the Job

The Washington Post April 22, 1999 | Maria Glod The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors yesterday approved a policy requiring recruits who leave the Sheriff’s Department within a year of graduating from the law enforcement academy to repay part of their training costs.

The policy is aimed at keeping newly trained deputies from leaving the department for higher-paying law enforcement jobs in nearby counties. Sheriff’s officials have long complained that it is difficult to retain new officers because Loudoun’s starting salary — even with a recent increase — lags behind that of deputies in Alexandria and Arlington and Fairfax counties. As a result, county officials said, Loudoun too often pays to train employees who take their expensive skills elsewhere within a few months.

Sheriff’s officials estimate that in a deputy’s first six months on the job, more than $10,000 is spent on uniforms, equipment and tuition at the Northern Virginia Criminal Justice Academy in Ashburn. “We can’t afford to keep on paying to put deputies through training and have them go somewhere else to work,” Supervisor David G. McWatters (R-Broad Run) said of the new policy. “It’s a way of protecting the taxpayers’ money. It’s a very common-sense way to do it.” Sheriff’s officials said they have not tracked the number of deputies who leave the department within a year of graduation. In a March 23 letter to board Chairman Dale Polen Myers (R-At Large), Sheriff Stephen O. Simpson said two deputies who work in the jail recently left for other law enforcement jobs. Although the recently approved budget includes a 9.5 percent pay raise for sworn deputies, sheriff’s officials worry that this year’s newcomers will be even more likely to pursue jobs in neighboring counties because, for the first time, recruits are being certified initially in both patrol and corrections rather than one or the other. “Our guys come out of {the academy} in six months, and they are certified in both corrections and patrol,” Maj. John Patton said. “It makes them more attrac tive as candidates in other jurisdictions because they are already trained.” Patton also noted that there is no shortage of jobs in area law enforcement agencies. “We’re still trying to hire positions that were approved a year ago,” Patton said. “Everybody is having troubles trying to recruit people. We’re trying to hire for a lot of positions in the jail, and sometimes a guy or a girl comes in and says, `I can go to Fairfax and work on the streets for more money.’ ” Under the new policy, a deputy who leaves within six months of graduation will have to reimburse the county $5,000. A deputy who leaves between six and 12 months after graduation will have to pay back $2,500. Those who voluntarily leave the academy during training will be required to pay $1,250. Money collected under the policy will be added to the county’s general fund. County staff said they do not have an estimate on how much money the policy might generate. Other area departments have similar policies. “We have been doing it for years,” said Alexandria sheriff’s spokesman Capt. Dave Rocco. “We invest a lot of time, energy and money to hire as well as to train, and it takes up to six months to train. If they leave voluntarily, we feel we should recoup some of the money.” Rocco said the policy has been used on three recruits. He said he did not know whether the reimbursements were made by the recruits or the agencies that hired them. But he said the Alexandria department does not offer to reimburse new employees’ previous departments. The policy has caught the attention of some Loudoun towns. Purcellville Town Manager Robert W. Lohr Jr. said the Town Council has “talked seriously” about implementing a similar policy. “I definitely foresee the town moving in that direction,” Lohr said. “Training . . . has a very big impact on a small community.” Leesburg Police Chief Keith A. Stiles said he has delivered a copy of the county policy to town officials. “I would encourage the town of Leesburg to look at this,” Stiles said. lawenforcementjobsnow.net law enforcement jobs site law enforcement jobs

Maria Glod