BY KATIE THISDELL
The Stafford County Sheriff's Office hopes a federal grant will help pay salaries for seven more deputies.
That could bring the total number of positions in the department to more than 250, with 170 being sworn deputies.
Sheriff Charles Jett says additional officers are needed to get the department closer to the goal of 40 percent of uncommitted patrol time, as recommended by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
This enhances community policing efforts, Jett told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Deputies would have more time to do "proactive" work by engaging the community.
He said the force is about 14 positions away from being able to meet that goal.
Supervisors approved Jett's request to apply for a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office.
Jett applied for the grant last year, but did not receive the funding. The updated application was due Thursday.
The grant would pay up to 75 percent of full-time entry-level salaries and benefits for seven deputies for three years. It would require at least a 25 percent local match. The deputies would have to be kept by the county for at least 12 months after the grant ended.
The grant would provide a total of $875,000 over three years. The county match for that time would be about $561,600, which includes raises.
Stafford taxpayers would be responsible for the total costs in the fourth year--$507,000.
The starting salary for a deputy is $39,749, plus benefits worth $26,652, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The grant also would require new hires to be military veterans who have served on active duty at any time in the armed forces for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which occurred during the period after Sept. 11, 2001, and who have been honorably discharged.
The county's proposed 2012-13 budget calls for two additional full-time deputies, and for one part-time position to be changed to full-time, specifically for increased security needed at the courthouse. The General Assembly added another judge last year in Stafford to handle the growing caseload. The additional courtroom security officers would allow deputies temporarily assigned to the courthouse to return to field operations.
Come July 1, the additions would bring the department's total personnel to 232 full-time positions and 18 part-time positions.
Five deputies were hired last year for a gang task force.
The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Department also applied for a COPS grant last week. Supervisors approved the application that would partially fund two deputies.
The total county contribution, including use of asset forfeiture for the four-year period, is estimated to be $495,752.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff's Office's request for six additional sworn law enforcement personnel was not included in the proposed fiscal 2013 budget.