In a recent town council meeting, Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris revealed that a lack of available dispatchers has forced the department to contract with the Sheriff’s Office instead of offering raises to its current employees. Chief Morris proposed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, allowing their dispatchers to man Saratoga’s call center in exchange for the town paying their salaries. The agreement is expected to cost the department over $60,000. With the cost of hosting the Sheriff’s dispatchers, Chief Morris explained that he cannot afford to provide raises for two of his department’s employees. However, he has received interest from potential new hires and has former employees willing to return part-time. The town council has approved the hiring of a new dispatcher and temporary call-takers, with the intention of transitioning them to part-time dispatchers in the future.
A lack of available dispatchers has forced the Saratoga Police Department to contract with the Sheriff’s Office instead of offering raises, according to Police Chief Mike Morris. In order to address the shortage in his department, Chief Morris proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, which would allow their dispatchers to work at Saratoga’s call center. The town would cover the salary and overtime of the sheriff’s dispatchers, resulting in an estimated cost of over $60,000 for the department. Chief Morris stated that this expense has made it impossible for him to provide raises for two of his current dispatchers.
Chief Morris explained that the department will also have to bear the cost of training any new call-takers, in addition to the expenses incurred by the MOU. He expressed his inability to afford a pay increase for his current dispatchers, stating, “I simply don’t have the money to cover it.” The Saratoga Police Department’s MOU with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office was approved by Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip and went into effect on November 20th.
Despite the financial challenges, Chief Morris has received interest from potential candidates for the open dispatcher positions. He mentioned a former military member with dispatching experience who has expressed a desire to join the Saratoga Police Department’s dispatch team. Chief Morris also shared his plan to hire Joshua Mathieu, an Encampment resident who has completed all required pre-employment testing, pending a successful medical evaluation. Additionally, two former employees have offered to return to the police department as part-time dispatchers, but their psychological evaluations cannot be completed until early next year. Chief Morris believes he can work around this requirement by hiring them under a different title.
In conclusion, the Saratoga Police Department is facing staffing challenges due to a lack of available dispatchers. The department has entered into an MOU with the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office to address the shortfall, but this has resulted in financial constraints that prevent raises for current dispatchers. Chief Morris is actively seeking new hires and exploring alternative solutions to ensure effective dispatch services for the town of Saratoga.
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