WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. - Worcester County leaders say keeping experienced deputies on the job is becoming a growing challenge as the sheriff’s office tries to stay competitive with higher-paying agencies in the region.
The issue came into focus this week as county officials discussed broader retention pressures across government and Sheriff Matt Crisafulli pointed to compensation as a key part of the conversation.
County documents show the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office ranks 30th out of 32 comparable agencies in starting pay. The sheriff’s office listed its starting salary at $63,128 and compared that with $78,809 in Rehoboth Beach and $91,000 with Delaware State Police.
Crisafulli said keeping deputies from leaving will remain one of his top priorities.
“One of my main priorities moving forward, is to elevate the compensation for our men and women so we can bring experience in the door and lock the back door,” Crisafulli said. “So they don’t leave.”
His comments reflect a larger concern within Worcester County government, where officials say retention issues are not limited to law enforcement.
“We’re having problems in all of our departments on retention,” Commission President Ted Elder said. “So we need to concentrate on all of them.”
Elder said Worcester County still compares favorably to some nearby places and argued the county offers a quality of life that can help make it an attractive place to work.
“We’re still higher than Wicomico or Somerset,” Elder said. “And certainly Worcester County is a great place to live and work as a law enforcement agency. And, we’re going to do what we can to help all our departments.”
Still, the salary gap outlined by the sheriff’s office shows the challenge county leaders face as agencies across the Eastern Shore and Delaware compete for many of the same applicants.
In county paperwork, the sheriff’s office said the cost to recruit, hire and train a new deputy can exceed $50,000, making retention a cost-saving strategy as well as a staffing concern. The office also said turnover can increase overtime costs and reduce proactive policing capacity.
Crisafulli said the competition is not just local, but part of a wider trend affecting law enforcement agencies across the country. Even so, he said Worcester County remains in a relatively strong position and can continue building on that by focusing on pay, workplace culture and support for deputies and their families.
For county leaders, the issue now is not only how to attract new deputies, but how to make sure experienced ones choose to stay.