Holiday Walkout by Deputies Averted

A threatened walkout by Sheriff’s Department dispatchers opposed to working overtime on Thanksgiving Day was averted when enough workers were provided so that overtime was not needed, Sheriff Jim Roache said Friday.

Dispatchers had threatened to leave their shifts fielding 911 calls after eight hours during Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day because of a chronic staffing shortage.

Roache issued an announcement last week assuring the public that enough dispatchers would be on duty to send deputies out on assistance calls.

By Friday, there had been no problems, Roache said. The department had received about 675 calls for service between midnight Wednesday and 3 p.m. Thursday.

“All calls for help from the public were dispatched without disruption,” he said. “We experienced no interruptions in service and all personnel assigned to work reported for duty as usual.”

Only one dispatcher was given overtime because the worker had volunteered for the extra pay, Roache said.