YORK, S.C. — A decade-high scarcity of detention officers in York County is pushing the York County Sheriff's Office to get creative. The department is skipping online applications and instead hosting an in-person job fair Wednesday, March 9 at the York County Law Enforcement Center.
ALSO ON WCNC CHARLOTTE: Panthers' Rock Hill training facility construction 'paused'
“Why don’t we just cut out the middle man," Trent Faris, a spokesperson for the York County Sheriff's Office, said. "Where you don’t have to go online, fill out that application, talk to somebody on the phone, schedule an interview."
Instead, that process will be grouped into one big hiring event.
Faris did not say the exact number of openings in the detention center for safety reasons but said it’s the most in at least a decade. A similar problem has been seen in neighboring Lancaster County.
“The expectations are real high, and the training and the stress level is extremely high in the jail," Lancaster County Sheriff Barry Faile said. "We just can’t compete with what we’re seeing in the private sector.”
Faile said the labor market is competitive and the private sector is raising wages – making it harder to compete for employees.
The pay for a York County detention officer starts at $40,000 a year. Faris said while the job is not easy, it can be rewarding. It also comes with benefits, like being able to work 12-hour shifts for a total of 14 days of the month, giving you more days off.
“Our detention officers help people," Faris said. "They help people get out of a bad situation that they’re in – whether it’s just talking to someone or if they have any advice.”
A form of ID is required for the hiring event, and former military personnel must show proof of an honorable discharge.
Contact Indira Eskieva at ieskieva@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.