Six new deputy positions were added to the Pulaski County sheriff’s office on Tuesday night.
The Quorum Court voted 13-0 to add the positions, with two justices of the peace absent.
It’s the first addition to the sheriff’s ranks in 12 years, since budget cuts forced the layoff of 22 patrol deputies in 2005.
Sheriff’s office authorities will now begin a search to fill the six positions. Some recruits will likely come from the sheriff’s jail staff, officials said, while others may apply from other law enforcement agencies.
“We try to give the people in the jail a preference when we can, because we think it’s the right thing to do. Those people work for the department and they’re committed to their duties,” Pulaski County Sheriff Doc Holladay said last week. “If they have an interest in being on the enforcement side, the right thing to do is to give them preference when we can.”
With the additions, the force will consist of 74 patrol deputies and a total of 127 funded positions related to law enforcement.
Salaries for the deputies will start at $33,691. Deputy salaries are capped at around $38,000. Deputies will undergo three months of training in the police academy, followed by three months with a field training officer.