LAWRENCE CO. — The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) is officially moving forward formalizing the hiring process through a new contract.
The Lawrence County Commissioners approved executing a contract that finalizes the terms of employment for incoming officers. This step ensures that the Sheriff’s Department can address staffing needs and bolster public safety efforts across the county, as well as combat officers leaving the department after receiving training.
“It has become more prevalent with police agencies issuing large lateral transfer bonuses to already trained officers, ” said Sheriff Greg Day. “Trained officers are leaving for the bonuses and higher pay elsewhere. Senate Act 95 now allows us to recoup the cost of the hiring and training of those officers who chose to leave.”
The Senate Act allows the department to request 100 percent reimbursement from the hiring department for the costs of the hiring exam, training, specialized training, non-reusable supplies, and equipment during the officer’s first year of employment, as well as the salary and benefits for the first year of employment at the Sheriff’s Department and 66 percent is the officer leaves within two years and 33 percent if the officer leaves within three years.
According to Sheriff Day, the county is expected to receive a payment today from the Indiana Department of Corrections to cover the costs of housing state prisoners, ending months of delays that had left local jails without reimbursements.
The county is expected to receive around $89,000, but according to Sheriff Day, the actual amount should be closer to $110,000. The Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department has not received these payments since August 2024.
Sheriff Day also provided the commissioners with the quarterly commissary report.
Sheriff Day provided an inmate count for the morning. There were a total of 90 inmates in the jail, including 75 males and 15 females. This total also included 15 Department of Corrections holds, one parole hold, and two individuals with Level 6 felony charges.
