TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Just like the Twin Falls Police Department, the Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office is struggling to fill open positions. However, the Sheriff's office is not solely looking to hire deputies as the vacancies span across a wide range of opportunities within the department.
“Back in the old days when we would test for a deputy position, we had upwards of 50 people show up for testing to get through," said Captain Doug Sugden of the Twin Falls Sheriff's Office. "Sometimes we’re lucky if we have two show up.”
Since there is such a variety of job openings, it has made it difficult to try and attract applicants.
“We have the jail, we have the courts, we have the drivers license, concealed weapon licensing, criminal and civil records, we have paper servers," said Sugden. "It’s not just the deputies we’re having trouble hiring, it's any of these positions.”
Part of what has made it challenging for law enforcement agencies to hire officers is the negative stigma that has been surrounding the police for the past couple of years.
The sheriff's office also has the challenge in hiring candidates because those who do apply, tend to go to bigger departments.
“When say Meridian PD, or Ada county or Boise City can offer X amount of dollars more than we can, it's hard to make something a little bit more attractive," said Sugden. "You have to try and focus them on the beauty of the community and working in this kind of environment.”
Still, The Twin Falls County Sheriff's Office is trying its best to find the right people for the job.
“We want to try and find people with a good work ethic who have some stability," said Sugden. "For us, it’s a lot of times looking for people willing to stay in the community they want to serve their community and make it a better place to live in.”
For anyone interested in current or future job openings, they're encouraged to check out the county website.
