BROOKINGS — Staff turnover continues to dog the Brookings County Detention Center, but a lot of it for positive reasons such as promotions.
That’s what the Brookings County Commission learned at its March 17 meeting during a presentation by Sheriff Marty Stanwick and BCDC Administrator Andrew Erickson. The national rate is well beyond 60%, Erickson said, while locally it’s closer to 40% — but that’s before considerations such as promotions are factored in.
Erickson said three corrections personnel were promoted to the road, while another went to the Brookings County Outdoor Adventure Center, and two more were promoted to the front office to help Stanwick there.
Most of them were corporals or full-time employees, and so the sheriff’s office then promoted part-time employees to full-time status to replace them, which in turn created other openings. Long story short, the picture looks worse than it is.
“If you take those promotions out, our turnover is really only at 26% for this last year, so I think we’re doing exceptionally well as far as retention of employees,” Erickson said. “We want employees to be able to move up — corrections are oftentimes a stepping stone for people to move into road deputy spots, so having three go to the road is really good for them. Glad they’re able to further their careers.”
Commissioners had inquiries after the presentation, including Dave Miller: “When people leave, are they transferring to other departments?”
Erickson said it depends on the situation, and cited two examples:
• Two corrections personnel who moved to Arkansas to be closer to family and work for Tyson Chicken.
• A staffer who returned to the profession she was part of prior to becoming a corrections officer — it was a higher-paying job with daytime hours that would be better for her and her family.
“SDSU has taken a few of our guys; there’s always that potential for people to go to other departments,” Erickson added.
Stanwick pointed to another staffer who moved to the South Dakota Highway Patrol and noted that the sheriff in Turner County was another such staffer who’d moved on to bigger and better things.
He noted a generational difference as well. “I have to rely on 18-, 19-, 20-, 21-year-olds — probably Gen Zs,” Stanwick said. “They’re noted for not staying around long, (but) I don’t know that I can blame it all on that.”
Commissioner Larry Jensen brought up the issue of one-year contracts that new deputy sheriff hires are supposed to sign prior to going for training at the academy in Pierre.
“Are we still moving forward with that?” he asked.
Stanwick said yes but also noted that he didn’t have the three deputies who recently received academy training sign on the line, so to speak.
“They’ve sworn in blood that they’re going to stay,” he joked, bringing chuckles from commissioners. “I visited with them; I probably still could have them sign it. … We had a good chat, (and) I don’t see these three going anywhere anytime soon.”
Next up to bat was Commissioner Doug Post, who brought up a dollars-and-cents concern: “What do you estimate is the onboarding cost to bring in somebody new?”
Regarding deputies, Stanwick said there’s 16 weeks of field training with another deputy in the sheriff’s office. Beyond that, there’s another 13 weeks of required academy training that must be completed within a year of the deputy’s hiring date for them to be a certified law enforcer. In total, Stanwick said, including salary considerations, it could cost upward of $60,000 — and that’s before the academy in Pierre.
Switching over to corrections, Erickson said officers have 12 weeks of field training involving a senior correctional officer following the new hire around, helping them out and teaching them the ropes.
On both sides of the equation, sometimes it’s too much for the new hire.
“We get some that come, and then they decide that’s not for them, so we’re out that training during that time,” Stanwick said. “Then we have to look for a replacement.”
He closed with an overarching observation.
“I think it’s an ongoing thing — it’s just not unique to Brookings County. It’s pretty much nationwide for retention and turnover,” Stanwick said. “What do we do to try to keep our employees? I think Brookings County is pretty competitive with salary and benefits package.”
Other business
In a series of 5-0 votes, commissioners also:
• Approved a resolution setting weight limits on paved county highways at 7 tons per axle, except for county Road 16A (aka 214th Street), where the limit will be 5 tons per axle.
A stretch of that road between Aurora and Brookings has been pounded by heavy truck traffic, damaging a blotter surface that was applied last summer to improve the road. Blotter surfaces aren’t as durable as full asphalt surfaces but are better than gravel.
• Signed off on an election agreement between the county and the city of Brookings.
• Approved a lease agreement at 524 Front St. with Craig and Kathleen Kreyger. The three-year agreement allows the county to use a portion of the building to park vehicles and the option to buy the building if it is put up for sale. The lease takes effect July 1 and will cost $200 per month.
• Gave the green light to The Road Guy Construction Co. of Yankton to do the county’s chip seal project for $179,173.75. The firm’s winning bid was $40,826.25 below Highway Superintendent Brian Gustad’s cost estimate.
• Approved Watertown-based Duininck Inc.’s $914,579.81 bid for this year’s surfacing project in the county. The firm’s bid was $253,807.29 below an engineer’s cost estimate.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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