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JACKSON (WNE) — The Jackson Police Department is so short staffed it has contracted with out-of-town deputies to help with coverage.
“We are having to think outside the box and get …
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JACKSON (WNE) — The Jackson Police Department is so short staffed it has contracted with out-of-town deputies to help with coverage.
“We are having to think outside the box and get creative,” Chief of Police Todd Smith said.
The department has lost several officers in six months and hiring people to fill those positions can take anywhere from nine months to a year because recruits must attend the police academy and undergo training.
In a mutual aid agreement, Smith hired Lincoln County deputies to help fulfill the department’s Jackson Hole Airport duties.
It isn’t the first time Smith has contracted with Lincoln County to fill staffing gaps. Lincoln also helped cover the town’s airport shifts in 2017.
The cost of the agreement will depend on how many hours the Lincoln County deputies work. But Smith said because the town has a contract with the airport to provide services, he doesn’t expect a “negative impact” on the town’s budget.
