Understaffed and Underpaid: Weber County deputies plea for help
Oct 31, 2024, 6:01 PM | Updated: 6:39 pm
OGDEN — Some Weber County deputies are sounding the alarm, claiming that staffing is reaching critical levels, putting themselves and the public at risk.
The group, Concerned Weber County Deputies, sent a letter to KSL TV outlining its frustration and concerns. KSL TV showed the letter to Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon, who agreed with the group’s complaints and said he has been fighting for better pay for years.
Some deputies with Weber County Sheriff's office, raising concerns about pay. Sheriff Arbon said he was not aware of this letter until I showed it to him, but that the letter is correct. Working on getting a response from Weber County Commissioners for @KSL5TV at 5&6pm. pic.twitter.com/DXh6tfl1pn
— Mike Anderson (@mikeandersonKSL) October 31, 2024
Weber County Commissioner Sharon Bolos said a salary study is underway right now, and they know that deputies are leaving for better-paying jobs.
“We want to be competitive. We don’t necessarily want to be the highest,” Bolos said. “They feel like the culture there is really good. And deputies want to be there. And so we just want to be competitive.”
Sharon Bolos explaining why salary pay is a problem in the sheriff’s office. (KSL TV)
In a phone call, Arbon said patrol shifts often have to work with staff below minimum. The Concerned Weber County Deputies claim this caused unsafe environments for the deputies, increased response times to priority calls, and less proactive work from deputies that lower crime.
According to the county, the salary study wraps up in January, meaning deputies could see some solutions for the 2026 fiscal year.
In the meantime, Bolos said commissioners agreed to a $10,000 retention bonus, which would pay deputies near what others are paying.
“We are concerned about their safety and public safety, which is why we listened to their administration and implemented the retention pay,” Bolos said.
Arbon said the office actually eliminated some positions a few years back to increase salary pay. He asked to get those positions back, but those did not make it onto the new tentative budget that was approved earlier this week.
