In the 2020 budget the Branch County Sheriff’s Department has two new deputy positions, however the jobs have not been posted yet.

During the Branch County Board of Commissioners work session Thursday, Sheriff John Pollack reported that two current department members are leaving and he cited the pay difference between local police departments which is as high as $8 an hour between them and the Coldwater Police Department.

Estimates during work on the budget indicated that each new deputy would cost the county around $125,000 which would include wages and benefits along with new vehicle, uniform and pension costs.

Once the Sheriff’s Department is fully staffed with the two additional deputies, they will able to expand their service hours by adding one deputy to each of the 12 hour shifts.