Here’s how recent pay raises are affecting the Merced Sheriff’s Office

It's been about a month since Merced County Sheriff's deputies received a long-awaited 10 percent raise and Sheriff Vern Warnke said his office already is seeing the tide turn after several years of staffing struggles.

"That was the magic number to get deputies back," he told the Sun-Star in an interview Monday. "We got them coming back home."

Two former deputies that left the sheriff's office for other jobs were sworn in on Monday morning and last week. Warnke said those deputies returned to Merced, at least in part, due to the pay raises. A third deputy will also be returning to the sheriff's office in coming weeks, he said.

Merced County sheriff deputies were the third lowest paid deputies in the San Joaquin Valley. Warnke pleaded to the supervisors for deputy raises for three years.

On Sept. 12 before the county's final budget hearing, the supervisors unanimously approved deputy raises.

Warnke said he anticipates fully staffing all departments in his office within the next eight months.

There are nine to 10 sheriff deputy positions open, Warnke said, and about five unfilled detective spots.

The raises total more than $1 million in total and comes from a combination of the county's general fund and a special funding source in the sheriff's budget typically used for equipment update.

Monday morning one sheriff's deputy and deputy coroner were sworn in, three lieutenants and two captains were promoted.

Monica Velez: 209-385-2486, @monicavelez21

This story was originally published October 16, 2017 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Here’s how recent pay raises are affecting the Merced Sheriff’s Office."