Higher salaries seem to be working at sheriff's office, not so much at the jail

It is all about having enough officers to get things done.

It appears that Somerset County raising the wages in many employment categories, including for county detectives, jail and sheriff correctional officers, is working for the sheriff's department, but not so much for the jail.

"We need a little more help," said Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir. But now the staffing problem is not as acute as it was a couple months ago when it looked like there would not be enough staff to help secure the courthouse through the metal detector. Even President Judge D. Gregory Geary was coming up with a plan to keep up security by other means than that of the sheriff's office in case that occurred.

Weir's office has received applications since the pay was increased for the position of deputy sheriff. However, almost none of the applicants are certified, he said. This means once they are hired they will have to go to training for 19 weeks, which is a full-time endeavor. Thus, although they are hired to fill a position, that position remains empty while they are going through the training, he said.

Before:Security at the courthouse may still be in question

The commissioners hired a full-time sheriff deputy, Jerry Jerome, of Central City, effective Monday at $41,600 a year. Jerome has served as a Windber, Meyersdale and more recently as a part-time police officer in Central City.

Dusty Ritchea, formerly of Ohio, was promoted from part-time to full-time sheriff deputy for an annual salary of $37,440, effective in February. Alexander Freoni, of Somerset, was appointed to the position of part-time sheriff deputy at an hourly rate of $14.57, also effective in February. Before the wage increase in January, that part-time position paid $11.92 an hour.

The board also accepted separation of employment for four part-time Somerset County Jail correctional officers — Cory Miller, of Salix; Joshua Morris, of Johnstown; Nathaniel Sell, of Nanty Glo; and Kristian Sigler, of Meyersdale — and one full-timer, Brian Louder, of Hooversville. The board hired one part-timer as a correctional officer in the jail, Daniel Talley, of Central City, for $16.79 per hour. The loss of five correctional officers and the hiring of one took place at a March 14 meeting.

More:More Somerset County workers get salary raises

"I thought it would be good (hike in pay), but it hasn't helped us at all," said Director Jodi Lepley, Somerset County human resources. She discussed the problem of keeping county personnel in the jail during a recent Somerset County Prison Board meeting.

"We are definitely struggling," she said.

Why:Brass knuckles aren't all that get discovered or declared at courthouse metal detector

According to Jail Warden Dennis Vought, the jail has been down more than a dozen officers at times this year. That number would account for nearly half of Vought's staff of officers.

The Somerset County Jail appears to have one of the higher turnover rates for county positions. The Somerset County Sheriff's Office seems to be moving upward with staffing.

"The reality here is the backyard of the two state facilities. It is just a tough thing for us to do. As soon as we hire, we trained a little, we lose folks to the state system. It is a challenge that we are trying to resolve in any way we can," said Prison Board Chairperson Pamela Tokar-Ickes in an earlier interview.

Anyone interested in corrections can call Lepley or other officials at 814-445-1500, the main county government line.

As for the increase in wages, the funds are coming from the county's operating funds, Tokar-Ickes said in her role as a county commissioner. What this means for next year's county budget, no one is sure.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Raising salaries for Somerset County law-related slots has dual effect