County to do deputies' salary study
By John Joyce
Published in News on May 1, 2015 1:46 PM
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce began his career with the State Bureau of Investigation making a little more than $22,000 annually -- nearly doubling his salary from the Wayne County Sheriff's Office in 1986 -- and he thought that made him rich.
Pierce started out as a part-time deputy with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office, climbing the ranks until he made detective, and then went to work for the state. Prior to that, he said, he was making a little more than $12,000 a year.
Now Wayne County's sheriff, Pierce is concentrating his efforts on paying his deputies what they are worth and maintaining his office as an attractive place of employment.
He said a pay scale study is currently under way within the county that might allow him to do just that. A new deputy with no experience would start out at a little more than $30,000, less than some area law enforcement agencies -- the Goldsboro Police Department starts out at $34,892 -- but a new step-pay scale might make an attractive career opportunity that much more appealing, he said.
"There have been a number of studies since I have been with the county, but so far nothing has been implemented. I know the county manager and his department, his assistant manager and (human resources department) are reviewing every department in the county and looking at all the positions and trying to go back to the county commissioners and tell them what positions are doing what, what their schedules are. And in the meantime, they are looking at all the pay scales to see how they compare," he said.
He said the county is trying to make sure that personnel within each department are being paid commensurate with their experience and not being paid more than the person next to them in their job without justification.
Pierce would like to see pay raises for his deputies based on a step program -- increases based on education, certifications and years in service -- and, of course, their proficiency in their job as well, he said.
He said he hires new deputies at the entry level base salary of $33,627 unless they come in with qualifications in hand.
"If you come in with a lot more education and certification than the previous man did, then you may start out at a higher step. You may be at the same pay grade, but you may start out at a higher step because of what you are already coming in to offer," he said.
New officers coming in with certifications already in place save the sheriff's office thousands of dollars in training, time spent in class and not on the road.
During that time, they are not really productive until they get through with that certification.
Pierce, who comes from a background in the pork industry having run Nahunta Pork for several years, said he would like to run the sheriff's office more like a business.
He said what makes his office attractive as a place of employment is that it is a very professional organization.
Pierce has his work cut out for him, however, with 14 current deputies from his command staff on down who are eligible to retire sometime within his first four years in office.
Pierce is looking to promote deputies as others retire to fill those slots vacated by retirees and to create new positions to combat the ever-changing landscape of crime in Wayne County.
He said he plans to ask the county for funding for four new positions to be created in his patrol division to establish a DWI task force, as well as new positions in the investigation division and a new slot for an additional drug squad officer.
He did say though that when it comes to manpower, the sheriff's office never falls below full staffing. There are no positions left unfilled, he said, he just needs more positions made available.
Until then, Pierce is happy with the job his deputies are doing. His only wish is for each deputy to return home safe after each shift and for the community to continue to support the men and women in uniform by reporting crimes and suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
"As I tell our people, I look at it as the wind is at our back and we are going to keep moving forward," he said. "It could turn around anytime, but I am proud of the situation that people are attracted to our agency."