In a word, the Pulaski County (Mo.) sheriff’s comm center is on the verge of collapse. There are just four dispatchers, and they are accumulating lots of overtime while they try to cover all the shifts because of position vacancies, sick leave and vacation. A news story says the comm center has “struggled” with compensation issues for several years. It also explains that dispatchers make an average of $8.72 per hour ($1,511 per month), and oddly, “does not pay overtime to employees until they leave their position or until they have reached 480 hours of overtime worked.” The sheriff’s department paid about 1,000 hours of overtime during 2008, officials say, and that rate continues into 2009. “You can’t run a 24/7 operation with four people, said sheriff J.B. King. He wants to hire three additional dispatchers very soon. Read the complete story here. Update: The county commissioners have additional questions for the sheriff about his need for dispatchers. Read more here.
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