Security, detention officer position now open

After months of discussion between Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell and the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners, the Sheriff’s Department will start the process of hiring three people.

During a recent Commissioners meeting, the Commissioners voted unanimously to allow Sheriff Lowell to start the process for hiring two additional court security officers. As for the request for an additional detention officer, it was a 4-1 vote. Commissioner John Kolb was the only commissioner opposed to the motion.

Sheriff Lowell informed the Commissioners that the courts in the new juvenile justice center will probably go online in June, which is why he wants to start the hiring process now. This will give him time to advertise the positions, interview and hire two people and then send them to proper training if needed. The goal is to make sure those two court security officers are trained and ready to work when the courts open. This motion passed with no discussion.

On the detention center deputy position, human resource director Garry McLean updated the commissioners on why Lowell was requesting an additional detention officer to head up the detention inmate work crew, which hasn’t been running.

At a previous meeting, Sheriff Lowell was asked why the department wasn’t picking up the trash along major roads in Sweetwater County. Lowell said due to positions eliminated in the voluntary separation program, the detention center no longer had someone able to run the work crew.

Commissioner Wally Johnson said all one has to do it drive along Blairtown Road where the inmates used to pick up trash and see how terrible it is since the program stopped.

He felt getting the program up and running again would be good for all of Sweetwater County.

Lowell was asked what other responsibilities this detention officer would complete. Lowell said the officer would first be tasked with running the crew, which consists of six to seven people, snow removal with the crew and run the work restitution program.

“Is that all that person’s going to do?” Kolb asked after a motion was made.

Lowell restated what the person’s job would be and at that point Kolb decided he couldn’t support this particular position.