Crockett Co. Sheriff’s Department Adding Deputies
For the first time since 1998 the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department will be adding deputies. The Sheriff said the additional officers are needed since his department has already answered 5,700 calls this year. “We have alot of crime, people come from out of the counties to do crimes here,” said Sheriff Troy Klyce of the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department. “Lots of rural areas, isolated areas that make us pretty good targets.” The starting pay for a Crockett County sheriff’s deputy with no experience is $29,300 with $1,000 raises annually. “The only problem Crockett County has versus Jackson or Dyersburg is we are competing with salaries. It’s hard to bring other officers in to Crockett County. Most of the time we have to use the home grown ones, ” said Sheriff Klyce. According to the sheriff, over the past five years his call volume has doubled. He said the department has 700 warrants all the time that need serving. “With 12 officers you are looking at a minimum of 24 weeks of vacation. So half the year you don’t have 12, not to mention if anyone is sick,” said Sheriff Klyce. He added the area with the biggest need for help is the Criminal Investigation Division. “That’s where we are hurting the most. It seems like we are able to answer the calls but we are not able to follow up on them not nearly enough. I feel we need to and the citizens deserve, ” said Sheriff Klyce.
