Understaffed and underpaid: Weber County deputies plea for help

By Mike Anderson, KSL | Posted - Nov. 4, 2024 at 8:27 a.m.

 
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Understaffed and underpaid: Weber County deputies plea for help
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OGDEN — Some Weber County deputies are sounding the alarm, claiming that staffing is reaching critical levels, putting themselves and the public at risk.

The group, Concerned Weber County Deputies, sent a letter to KSL-TV outlining its frustration and concerns. KSL-TV showed the letter to Weber County Sheriff Ryan Arbon, who agreed with the group's complaints and said he has been fighting for better pay for years.

Weber County Commissioner Sharon Bolos said a salary study is underway right now, and they know that deputies are leaving for better-paying jobs.

"We want to be competitive. We don't necessarily want to be the highest," Bolos said. "We feel like the culture there is really good and deputies want to be there. And so we just want to be competitive."

In a phone call, Arbon said patrol shifts often have to work with staff below minimum. The Concerned Weber County Deputies claim this caused unsafe environments for the deputies, increased response times to priority calls, and less proactive work from deputies that lowers crime.

According to the county, the salary study wraps up in January, meaning deputies could see some solutions for the 2026 fiscal year.

In the meantime, Bolos said commissioners agreed to a $10,000 retention bonus, which would pay deputies near what others are receiving.

"We are concerned about their safety and public safety, which is why we listened to their administration and implemented the retention pay," Bolos said.

Arbon said the office actually eliminated some positions a few years back to increase salary pay. He asked to get those positions back, but those did not make it onto the new tentative budget that was approved earlier this week.

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Mike Anderson, KSLMike Anderson
Mike Anderson often doubles as his own photographer, shooting and editing most of his stories. He came to KSL in April 2011 after working for several years at KUTV. The son of a retired newspaper editor and reporter, Mike grew up around news. He studied broadcast journalism at BYU Idaho, eventually graduating from Southern Utah University in 1999. From there, both he and his wife worked as reporters and anchors at KOTA, the ABC station in Rapid City, South Dakota. Before bringing his family back to Utah, Mike spent several years in Florida, working for stations in Jacksonville and Orlando. While reporting at WOFL, the FOX affiliate in Orlando, Mike served as the station’s Space Reporter. He regularly covered shuttle and rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center, in Cape Canaveral. Originally from Southern California, Mike now considers Utah home. His wife grew up in North Ogden, which means the two of them and their four kids enjoy having plenty of family nearby. When he’s not reporting the news or spending time with family, Mike enjoys woodworking, and playing the guitar.
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