For the first time in recent memory, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office has achieved full staffing — welcoming three new corrections officers to its ranks and closing a gap that has strained the department for years.
Lucas Givens, Parker Moore, and Elysia Moran joined the agency this week, completing a hiring cycle that Sheriff Jason Pollock described as hard-won in an era when law enforcement recruitment has become increasingly difficult nationwide.
A Long Road to Full Strength
"Recruitment isn't what it used to be 10 years ago," Sheriff Pollock said. "We used to have folks that were really interested in law enforcement. Having a larger pool to choose from was almost the norm for every agency across the country."
Pollock pointed to a confluence of factors that have made filling seats harder over the past several years: the COVID-19 pandemic, the social reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd in 2020, and the constant scrutiny that comes with ubiquitous smartphone cameras.
"It's always 'I got a camera in your face,' and it just becomes much more difficult to do the job," Pollock said. "We had more homicides in Jefferson County in 2020 and 2021 than we've ever had in its history. That was really one of the drawbacks for recruitment and retention."
The Cost of Hiring
Finances are another hurdle. Jefferson County deputies start at $70,000 per year — meaningful pay in Madras, but below the $75,700 starting salary in Crook County and $76,325 in Deschutes County. Getting a new deputy fully equipped and settled in their first year runs roughly $250,000 when factoring in benefits, training, gear, and equipment. A single radio costs $8,000.
That investment makes retention just as important as recruitment.
Madras Police Still Looking
While the Sheriff's Office celebrates its milestone, the Madras Police Department remains short-handed. Interim Police Chief Angie Elder acknowledged the challenges are shared across the profession.
"It really highlighted something that has always existed — law enforcement as a career truly does require a righteous amount of accountability," Elder said. "We are under a microscope a lot, and we should be."
The MPD is actively recruiting. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact the department directly or visit the city of Madras website for current openings.
For Jefferson County residents, the Sheriff's Office reaching full staffing is a concrete improvement in the county's public safety capacity — particularly for the jail, where corrections officer vacancies have historically created coverage headaches and overtime burdens for the department.