Friday, November 20, 1998

An analysis by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) released today confirms Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office staffing requirements established in 1997 and recommends a net increase of 10 positions. The staffing level recommended by the analysis is 68 employees higher than are currently on roll.

The Citizens’ Salary Study Committee appointed by Caddo Parish Sheriff Don Hathaway last year to recommend pay levels for deputies met today with Sheriff’s Office officials and representatives of the IACP to publicly release the IACP-conducted personnel staffing study.

"An Analysis of Manpower Requirements for the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office" was summarized at a news conference this morning by IACP Director Jerry Needle and lead study analyst Raymond T. Galvin. The analysis, which basically confirmed requirements established last year by the Sheriff’s Office, recommended total staffing of 671 positions. Sheriff Hathaway pointed out that his agency currently has 603 employees, 68 fewer than the IACP’s recommended staffing level.

The IACP representatives said the report’s recommendations were based on the study team’s analysis of Sheriff’s Office workloads and stressed that the recommended staffing levels are minimum adequate professional levels. They said their recommended numbers are needed for the Sheriff’s Office to meet workload requirements and properly serve the citizens of Caddo Parish.

The net increase of 10 positions recommended by the IACP analysis include 12 new positions over the current "authorized strength" of the Sheriff’s Office and the elimination of two positions. The IACP analysis recommended adding five patrol deputies, a crime analyst and seven employees in the Sheriff’s Office Detention Bureau (a training deputy, a Special Investigations deputy, a lieutenant and three sergeants in the Security Division). The analysis recommended reducing the authorized strength by one transportation deputy and one security deputy in the Detention Bureau. Both areas are currently understaffed from the IACP’s recommended levels.

Sheriff Hathaway said now that the study has been completed, he and his deputies will continue their efforts to become more efficient as they recruit new personnel to reach the recommended staffing levels.

The Sheriff pointed out that because of July 1 salary increases, staff turnover has dropped from an alarming 4.5 deputies per month to one deputy per month, which is considered a normal attrition rate. He said the turnover decrease graphically demonstrates the negative impact low salaries have on his agency’s ability to retain its high-quality, highly trained personnel.

Salary increases recommended by the Citizens’ Salary Study Committee and endorsed by an editorial in The (Shreveport) Times, were made possible by drawing about $1.5 million from the agency’s operating reserve in the current fiscal year (July 1 to June 30).

"The draw from our operating reserve will increase as we add personnel to attain the recommended staffing levels," the Sheriff said, "and will cause a further reduction in that operating reserve. At some point, additional revenue will have to be found to maintain the recommended level of service to the citizens of Caddo Parish and to continue to operate the Caddo Correctional Center at its current level of inmates and staff."

The IACP conducted a detailed analysis of the requirements for Peace Officer Standards and Training Council of Louisiana-certified (POST-certified) deputies in the Patrol and Detention Security Divisions of the Sheriff’s Office. The IACP also reviewed the need for other designated POST-certified personnel and offered comments on the number of administrative employees required by the agency. The study was conducted from June to October.

The Executive Summary of the analysis emphasized that the additional personnel recommended would bring the agency only to minimum adequate professional staffing levels. "They must be recruited, hired, trained and placed in service as quickly as possible to meet the safety and service needs of the citizens of Caddo Parish," the summary states.

The summary went on to say that the Sheriff’s Office "has and is performing well, but it has done so with overtime and other alternate staffing arrangements. This should not continue for an extended period."