GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. -- The need for more law enforcement officers is an issue Guilford County law enforcement leaders are trying to address as crime has slowly increased.
Both Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and Greensboro Police Chief Brian James are trying to recruit and retain deputies and officers
“I’m asking for more manpower," Rogers said. "I believe more manpower will be able to put more visibility throughout Guilford County."
Rogers told FOX8 his office is short 23 deputies out in the field and a combined 44 detention officers at the facilities in Greensboro and High Point. It's a number he hopes will not increase as crime reaches new heights.
"People running through and shooting and killing innocent people," Rogers said. "These gangs are out of control."
There are only three new hires in the basic law enforcement training program for the sheriff's office. The maximum capacity for the program is 22 recruits.
“They can make more money doing other things versus working in law enforcement," Rogers said.
Some of the things Rogers said new recruits consider before putting on the badge are salary, benefits and the opportunity to take home a police cruiser.
“We need to be able to be competitive with our local law enforcement agencies that are paying really good money,” he said.
The neighboring Winston-Salem Police Department and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office pay more for starting salaries according to online records. If deputies and officers want an even larger pay bump they go to cities like Raleigh, Charlotte or the NC State Highway Patrol.
“We want to be able to match many of these locations when it comes to lateral transferring," Rogers said. "We want to be able to match and be better.”
On the Greensboro police force, there are 40 officer vacancies and a much smaller incoming academy size than years past. The number of homicides this year has nearly doubled compared to the same time last year. There have been 11 homicides so far compared with six by the same time in March 2020.
Greensboro police is in the process of finalizing a staffing study. It will include strategies to hire and retain officers, advancement in policing technology and ways to reduce and prevent crime. It's anticipated James will present the study to the city council in April.
James is requesting feedback from within the department.
“If people are leaving the agency we want to know," he said in a city council work session on Tuesday. "We want to know why they’re leaving, even if they’re leaving for retirement, we want to know what their experience was here."
Both Greensboro and Guilford County law enforcement leaders are using overtime and bringing back retirees as a temporary solution until more people are hired.
Rogers told FOX8 people's safety remains a top priority as he's worked with the county commissioners to get more deputies on board.
“We may be short, but they have not reduced their work ethic," Rogers said. "They have continued to push forward."
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