MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — After years of difficulties recruiting and retaining staff, Berkeley County Sheriff Nathan Harmon said he’s turned a corner.
“We’ve got one more position to fill. Technically, that would equal up to 62. That doesn’t include me,” Harmon told the Panhandle News Network this week. “We just received the COPS grant. We won that for the first time.”
That $500,000 federal grant will fund four additional deputies.
Harmon said he’ll soon ask the Berkeley County Commission for two additional deputies. He said that would take the department to a total of 68 positions in the near future. He says he’ll be seeking additional positions in future years.
“I’m hoping by the end of my four-year term we’re up in the low 80s, high 70s in terms of deputies,” he said.
Harmon said part of the recruitment success has been the ability to bring in lateral transfers.
“Ourselves and the Berkeley County Civil Service Board have come together, and we agreed that we would accept lateral transfers of pre-certified officers,” Harmon said. “That was a huge game changer for us.”