By Police1 Staff
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In an effort to recruit more deputies, one sheriff is seeking to provide 24-hour, affordable childcare.
Sheriff Laurie Smith told KPIX 5 that agencies lose out on qualified applicants because deputies can’t find or afford the childcare they need.
“Many deputies, women and men, have this as an issue,” Smith said. “But it’s particularly an issue for single parents, and it’s a job you don’t go into because childcare is just not available.”
Sgt. Kattia Zavaleta, a mother of four with an LEO fiancee, told KPIX that she had the help of relatives who would watch her children overnight. But many officers don’t have the resources to help them out. She said childcare would be a strong recruiting tool for those looking to join the ranks or move up in the force.
“They will be able to go to different specialized positions, get promoted more,” Zavaleta said. “They’d be able to drop their kids off at the early hours because your regular childcare is usually 7 to 5, but we have to be there early.”
The budget committee is set to vote on the plan in June.
If the plan is successful, the county may expand it to other job occupations as well.