During a meeting on March 14th, Plumas County’s Sheriff Todd Johns once again appealed to the Board of Supervisors for additional funding to fill the 20 open vacancies in his department. According to Johns, the lack of funding has made recruiting staff for dispatch, patrol, and the jail facility challenging, leading to a significant staff shortage. He warned that the department is on the verge of losing another dispatcher, which would further impact their ability to respond to incoming calls. Johns described to the supervisors the distress that was too painful to present during the dispatch call during the recent fire in East Quincy, which left one dead and 14 others homeless.
To address the staffing shortage, Johns has been forced to step into the role of dispatcher himself at times. The jail, which currently has only ten employees but requires 16, has left the Sheriff with no choice but to have deputies patrol areas instead of covering jail shifts. Additionally, the department needs more female roles, as only one female officer poses problems when she is off duty.
The department was forced to close the jail doors to the public recently due to a lack of staff, leaving the area with only one vehicle patrol coverage, making it challenging to assist the public. Supervisor Tom McGowan suggested transferring inmates from the jail to relieve officers of jail duty to cover areas. However, Johns explained that it would not be financially feasible since transportation to and from court dates and travel expenses are required.
The Sheriff desperately hopes that the Board of Supervisors will prioritize the funding needed to address the staffing shortage before Plumas County experiences more significant consequences.
The board will meet again at the courthouse in Quincy at 10 am this morning. An agenda can be found on the county website.
