The Sheriff's Office Needs Your Help

To the Citizens of Phillips County,

I reluctantly write this letter of advisement of the extreme situation your Sheriff’s Office faces.

We do not offer competitive wages for deputies or office personnel. This makes it extremely difficult to recruit or retain employees.

Now, we are dangerously short-handed. I have advised the Commissioners of the situation repeatedly and have asked for a competitive wage to make your agency a more desirable option for individuals wanting to get into law enforcement or leaving their current position as a law enforcement officer or dispatcher at another agency to come to the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office. I have been advocating for competitive wages since I took office in 2019 and have been unsuccessful. I have been unable to express my point to the Commissioners that the Sheriff’s Office needs experienced and competent employees. To recruit and retain these individuals, we need to offer a competitive wage. Other jurisdictions around the state gave pay raises of up to 30% to their law enforcement personnel last year. I have humbly asked for less than half of that and the Commissioners are deciding upon this issue.

The Sheriff’s Office is like no other County office. The office operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We work nights, weekends, and holidays. We are hated for what we do but are the only thing standing between you and evil. We are the people you reach out to in your time of need. We are asked to deal with horrific situations and expected to not let them affect us. So now I am asking for your direct input. The Commissioners are your representatives in county government.

If you feel your Sheriff’s Office is a priority, I would humbly ask that you reach out to your respective Commissioner and let them know your thoughts in this matter to help them come to a decision.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Jerry Lytle

Phillips County, Mont.