Eight new detention officers graduated Friday, but Durham County's jail is still short nearly a third of its officer ranks. The Durham County Detention Center added members of its 79th Academy, but Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said 68 detention officer positions remain open out of 212 budgeted jobs.
Two years ago, Birkhead said the detention center had nearly 90 vacancies. The shortage still forces deputies to step in inside the jail while detention officers work mandatory overtime and extra shifts.
- Friday's class helps, but only a little. Eight new officers trim a gap still measured in the high dozens.
- Recruiting is where the county is stuck. Birkhead said corrections work has been hard to sell in the current climate, even as the sheriff's office pitches it as public safety work that can turn into a career.
- Pay is part of that pitch. Detention officers start at $52,500 a year, with higher pay for people who already have experience.
- Another academy is already on the way. A new training class is scheduled to begin later this year, and officials said more academies will be needed to reduce overtime for veteran officers.
One of Friday's graduates, Emely Fabian, moved to Durham about a year ago with the goal of changing inmates' lives. For Birkhead, recruits like Fabian are a sign of progress, even with dozens of detention jobs still unfilled.