BERKELEY SPRINGS, W.Va. — Right now, the Morgan County Sheriff’s Department is in good shape, with a dozen deputies and the sheriff.
Sheriff KC Bohrer knows it won’t stay that way. “Right now we’re at full strength,” he said. “Rarely does that happen for long, for whatever reason, so we’ll probably be giving a test in the first quarter to have an eligibility list for Civil Service for when vacancies occur. “
The Sheriff is hoping the County Commission will help him reward, recruit, and retain deputies. “I just finished my budget a couple of weeks ago with the County Commission, and one of the focal points of the budget was retention and additional manpower. We asked for an 8 percent pay raise for our guys to make sure they’re compensated well and paid for what they do,” Bohrer said.
“You know, retention is saving money because they can cross the line to Maryland and Virginia and make a lot more money. So, we don’t want to lose those assets,” the sheriff explained.
The Morgan County Commission is still working out its budget, so no word yet on whether the Sheriff’s request will be funded.
Bohrer is looking ahead, as well. He told the Panhandle News Network in a few short years nearly half of his deputy force – five, in fact, will be ready to retire.
Sheriff KC Bohrer was a guest on Monday’s Panhandle Live. You can hear the full interview on our Panhandle Live podcast on Spotify.
