Merit Board Approves Reducing Probationary Period For New Officers
Merit Board Approves Reducing Probationary Period For New Officers
Posted
Amanda Bridgman-
Merit Board Approves Reducing Probationary Period For New OfficersKosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Merit Board Wednesday approved the sheriff’s request to lower the probationary period for new officers with prior law enforcement experience.
Sheriff Kyle Dukes said when lateral police officers – officers who come to work at KCSO from another law enforcement agency – arrive, they’re put on the policy’s mandatory one-year probationary period.
However, Dukes said he’s finding that time period to really be too long for officers and asked for the probationary time period for lateral officers to be made to six months, at the discretion of their road sergeants and the sheriff.
Dukes also said that lateral officers who have come to KCSO have all taken a pay cut, and once merit deputies are taken off of their probationary one-year period, a pay raise is given.
Lateral officers are a “huge” benefit to KCSO, Dukes said, adding it saves roughly six months of required training.
The board approved the sheriff’s request.
Also Wednesday, KCSO Det. Neil Likens reported the detective division received new software that will be able to easier locate cell phone tower pings from a suspect’s phone during an investigation.
The next KCSO Merit Board meeting is 11:30 a.m. April 14 at the sheriff’s office.
