A posse of retired deputies and law enforcement personnel have been assembled by Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey to contend with a staffing shortage.
It didn’t take long for retired Deputy Kevin Brown to un-retire… Again.
Brown became a deputy in 1989, and worked in the courthouse, the detention center and in a cruiser for 31 years. He first retired in 2017, un-retired in 2018 to get full penchant benefits from the city and re-retired the following year. Then last fall he got a call from the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office’s (ASO) human resources department asking whether he’d like to come back on a part-time basis.
The 60-year-old Brown said it took a lot mentally and physically to get himself back into the swing of things.
“Folks joke around here, ‘How many times are you going to un-retire?'” Brown said. “I just felt it’s what I knew how to do. It’s what I did all my life.”
The Sheriff’s Office is dealing with a shortage of 22 sworn positions, and so far has rehired nine retired deputies and police officers for part-time work. The retirees aren’t working in the detention center, but can be seen in the courthouse at the metal detector at the entrance, in court, and transporting suspects in the building, among other duties.
“Hiring and retaining qualified sworn staff is a major challenge for public safety agencies right now,” Alexandria Sheriff Sean Casey said in a statement to ALXnow. “Having retired deputies come back on a part-time basis is a tremendous help. They not only help mitigate a staffing shortage, but newer deputies are able to learn from their extensive knowledge and experience.”
The Sheriff’s Office is currently recruiting candidates for their September academy, and offers an entry level salary of $60,767. The last class of 10 deputies graduated in June.
Deputy George Gray retired in 2019 after 23 years with ASO. He was lured back to work at the courthouse in Old Town when he stopped by with his girlfriend, who had to respond to a jury duty summons. He was met by his former coworkers.
“They asked, ‘Hey George, you want to come back to work?'” Gray recalled, and looked over at Brown. “I said, ‘I’ll do it if he (Brown) does it.'”
Brown said it’s a good job.
“It definitely was good for my family, my wife and my two sons,” he said, adding that he might stay until he reaches 40 years with the city. “I have no idea what the future holds, but you never know.”
