MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Berkeley County Sheriff Curtis Keller wants seven more deputies.
He has made a request to the Berkeley County Council Thursday and is even looking at ways the county can draw more money in through increased revenue. On Friday’s Panhandle Live on WEPM, Sheriff Keller said the money would be a game changer for his department.
“Right now, we are just being reactive instead of proactive as far as enforcement of the law. We’re running from call to call. We don’t have the opportunity to go out in the community and talk to people because of our manpower shortage.”
Keller supports Senate Bill 580, which SB 580 allows counties to impose a one percent sales tax to help cover the growing costs of regional jail bills and infrastructure repairs.
Berkeley County Administrator Alan Davis said out of the 60 employee slots Sheriff Keller currently has, ten percent who ‘could’ be out on patrol are not because five deputies are waiting for slots at the West Virginia State Police Academy, two others are waiting to graduate in May, and two have been suspended after an internal investigation.
“That’s nine deputies that we should have on the road that we don’t. We need to take steps to work with the state to try to get the five employees into the academy and get them certified so that they’re road worthy.”
Right now, Berkeley County leaders are working on next year’s $32 million budget.
Story by WEPM’s Marsha Chwalik