JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Jefferson County’s Republican sheriff wants to hire 40 detention employees to reopen a portion of the jail that was closed in 2020 due to budget cuts. But recruiting is a challenge for law enforcement across the country, and Jeffco is no exception.
Sheriff Jeff Shrader said $3.75 million of CARES Act funding was going to pay for the salaries and benefits of those 40 employees. The department did not spend the money because they couldn’t fill the positions. He believes retention and recruitment challenges will continue to impact the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office from rehiring all 40 detention positions by the end of this year.
“We have had a number of people retire and at the same time because some of those things going on, in particular dialogue, we haven’t had as many people apply to be in law enforcement,” said Shrader. “Because of that national dialogue, I think there were more direct physical challenges in particular towards police.”
In a newsletter this month, Shrader said seven of his deputies have been victims of attempted murder within the last month. Some were shot at and one was nearly stabbed.
He said all crime in Jefferson County has increased since the beginning of 2020. He attributes it to budget cuts, the pandemic and a nationwide narrative to defund the police.
According to Shrader, jail capacity was reduced in 2020, and some inmates had to be released early. The department had to implement enhanced arrest standards to limit the number of people in jail during the pandemic to accommodate public health restrictions and reduce the jail population.
“The lack of support from state and federal lawmakers has contributed to a national retention and recruiting crisis for law enforcement agencies,” he wrote in the newsletter. “We cannot hire good, qualified deputies quickly enough to meet increasing vacancy demands.”
He thinks more criminals on the streets combined with fewer law enforcement officers is leading to an increase in crime.
Shrader believes federal funding can be a short-term solution. He’s now asking the board of county commissioners to reserve the money for the Sheriff’s Office for 2023 since the department couldn’t spend the money in 2021.
According to Shrader, county staff does not support his request and wants the money to be spent elsewhere. The decision is ultimately up to county commissioners.
“Public safety always has been and always will be a top priority for Jefferson County,” said County Commissioner Andy Kerr. “Over half of the current budget goes to public safety including the sheriff’s office, the district attorney’s office and coroner’s office.
Kerr said final decisions won’t be made for a while.
“Part of that is looking at the long term, and we don’t want to spend money today that we will have to pull back next year or the year after that. We want to make sure we look at the big picture.”
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