Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office projects a $4.6M overtime deficit as jail staffing shortages soar
The Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office is projecting a 2022 overtime deficit of roughly $4.6 million — a result of extreme staffing shortages at the County Jail.
More than half of overtime payments were for staff at the County Jail for the late March and early April pay period — that's upwards of $1.1 million of the $2.35 million overtime paid across the agency, according to a report shared with a Milwaukee County committee Thursday.
Of the 251 positions budgeted for 2022, 140 officer positions at the jail were filled as of May 2. With the monthly average of 10 officers not available to work due to either injury or modified duty, the number of available staff drops to 130, leaving the vacancy rate at 48%, according to the report.
In 2021, 104 officers either resigned, retired, didn't clear probation, or were discharged or terminated due to misconduct. That total for 2022 has reached 27 officers.
"If you're wondering how did we get to this point, it's no secret our wages are a lot less than other jails in the area," Chief Deputy Denita Ball told the committee. "Our officers are overworked and underpaid for the type of work they do and for the level of responsibility that they have."
Ball is running for Milwaukee County Sheriff in the Aug. 9 primary election. Sheriff Earnell Lucas announced in February he would not run for re-election.
The report came under fire from some of the county supervisors.
"The sheriff's office has exceeded the allotted overtime every single year for as far back as anybody can remember," Supervisor Ryan Clancy said.
Ball said the overtime deficit would be offset by savings from salaries and fringe benefits, as well as additional revenues from the unbudgeted continuance of providing emergency room security for Froedtert Hospital.
Overall the department is projecting a $20,173 budget surplus despite the overtime costs.
Clancy argued that the report did not fully capture the cost savings the department is expected to see. After questions from the committee, Ball confirmed that the report did not factor in the replacement of two full-time park rangers as ambassadors with sheriff's deputies, as well as the diversion of funds from the mental health budget to pay for sheriff's deputies.
The department also received $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to fund $3 per hour premium pay for officers in the jail, House of Correction and the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center.
"I am seeing that the data does not back up what this report says," Clancy said.
Clancy noted that the department has previously not offered any substantial plan to correct overspending on overtime. Supervisor Sequanna Taylor urged the Sheriff's Office to come back with a plan.
This is not a new hurdle for the county, as other correctional facilities have faced high staff vacancies.
The county's House of Correction recently reported 81 correctional officer vacancies as of March 2022.
"As a matter of concern, the HOC has lost 27 correctional officers this year with overtime cited as the main reason for resignations," Superintendent Chantell Jewell wrote in a file addressed to the Judiciary, Safety and General Services Committee.
Contact Vanessa Swales at 414-308-5881 or vswales@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Vanessa_Swales.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County sheriff overtime soars over jail staff vacancies
