Reserve deputies to be compensated more for special events

In order to keep pay for reserve deputies at the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office in line with other agencies, the board of supervisors on July 23 agreed to increase the minimum hourly rate for the primarily volunteer positions during events. Sheriff John Halferty said the office has lost a number of its reserves but it is working to recruit more.

“We’re going to add additional reserves and have them start going through the training process,” Halferty said to supervisors, noting it would likely occur sometime in the fall. “As a reminder, for the reserves a majority of their hours are volunteer, or if they work special events that is on their own time.”

Halferty proposed the county increase the minimum hourly rate from $25 per hour to $35 per hour to be more in line with what other counties are paying. Oftentimes reserve deputies are responding to or working alcohol-related events, and Halferty said those can be challenging. He felt the increase was justified.

Vendors and organizers of special events that need reserve deputies would be the entities paying the sheriff’s office this specific rate. The board of supervisors had no problems approving the increase. Supervisor Denny Stevenson said it is fairly cheap compared to what other vendors have to pay for reserve presence.