JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office filled ten vacancies with sworn police officers who previously worked for the law enforcement agency but were laid-off in 2011.
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In 2011 JSO laid off 48 police officers in addition to other civilian employees as part of a reduction in force, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.
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During 2012 JSO eliminated 74 police positions from the employment cap the release said.
Due to normal attrition such as retirement and resignation, ten positions were created. The normal requirement for a police academy class to begin is 20 vacancies. The release said because these officers are already sworn law enforcement officers and previously received JSO-specific training, the cost to rehire the officers will be limited to routing medical exams which are already accounted for in the budget.
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"I have maintained all along that we would take any opportunity to reach out to those officers and bring them back, if we could do so without impacting our budget, and these vacancies provided just that opportunity," said Sheriff John Rutherford.
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"We have to fill vacancies for the positions we do have funding for; I get to bring home officers that I know are expertly trained and highly qualified; and the ultimate the benefit, the citizens receive the protection they deserve," Sheriff Rutherford added.
The rehiring of the ten officers helps to minimize the cost to the city and the agency.
The release said the rehired officers are:
- Already certified and have maintained their certification.
- Already JSO trained; requiring no additional instruction other than refresher classes and re-qualifying in high liability areas.
- Are filling existing vacancies in the sworn ranks, which occur naturally.
- These hires do not change the reduced manpower level of the JSO, as defined by budget.
The release said JSO is anticipating reaching out to the remaining laid-off officers from the 2011 reduction in force due to impending retirements.
First Coast News