SNOW HILL – In spite of reservations expressed by county leaders, the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office will continue to offer security services to a handful of area businesses.
The Worcester County Commissioners voted 5-2 to approve Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements with three resort area businesses on Tuesday. The approval came after several commissioners questioned the longtime practice of having deputies spend their time off working security details.
“Should we be in the security business?” Commissioner Merrill Lockfaw said.
The Worcester County Sheriff’s Office presented MOUs with Seacrets, the Casino at Ocean Downs and Purnell Properties (which owns Spinnaker Motel, Sun and Fun Motel and the Thunderbird Motel) for approval. The agreements outline the arrangement that allows for extra sheriff’s office patrols of the properties as long as the property owners pay a $75 per hour rate for each deputy.
Lockfaw questioned the practice, particularly because the sheriff’s office is currently short employees. He said he was concerned that deputies who spent their time off handling the security patrols would not be fully alert when they were on the job for Worcester County.
“These individuals are moonlighting,” he said. “How does that impact them as far as alertness?”
Lt. Michael Bowen of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office stressed that the security patrols, for which the officers were paid overtime, were voluntary and not mandatory. He said if they wanted to work on their days off it was their choice.
When asked how long the security shifts lasted, Bowen said they varied. He said the 24-hour shift one deputy worked Memorial Day weekend was not the norm.
“It was his time,” he said. “It wasn’t detrimental to the sheriff’s office. There was no situation where the deputy was putting himself in danger.”
Commissioner Jim Bunting said he was still concerned with the practice. He also pointed out that though the agreements with the three property owners had been in place for years, the commissioners hadn’t been seeing MOUs on a regular basis.
“We assumed it rolled over each year,” Bowen replied.
Bunting said he didn’t recall seeing an MOU with Purnell Properties. Bowen said the sheriff’s office had been providing the company’s motels with security since before MOUs were implemented. Chief Deputy Dale Smack said there was in fact an MOU with Purnell Properties that Bowen simply hadn’t had a copy of.
Commissioner Bud Church said he thought the sheriff’s office was providing a service to the community with the extra security. He added that it was voluntary and no one was forced to do it.
“It’s a good program,” he said, adding that the 24-hour Memorial Day weekend shift was not a regular occurrence. “It was probably a glitch. Things happen. To penalize the program because of a glitch is wrong.”
Commissioner Chip Bertino asked whether the service could be provided to businesses other than the three being discussed. Bowen explained that while any local business could ask for it, the department didn’t have enough officers to do it for any others.
“We’re not being selective,” he said. “We just don’t have the resources to provide it to anyone else.”
Smack attempted to alleviate the commissioners’ concerns. He said that while current policy didn’t regulate the number of hours a deputy could spend on outside security detail the officers used common sense and had a period of rest before they returned to regular duty. He added that the policy was currently being revamped.
Lockfaw continued to question whether officials should be putting the county in a position of liability. Smack said that whether the MOUs were approved or not deputies would continue to work the security jobs.
Commissioner Joe Mitrecic spoke in favor of approving the agreements. He said the deputies working various jobs was no different than a common practice among paramedics who worked in multiple fire stations.
“These MOUs give us a little control as opposed to these men and women doing this on their own time,” he said. Mitrecic said individual deputies knew how much they could handle and were allowed to do what they wanted with their free time, even if it was work.
“These men and women can do whatever they want on their time off,” he said.
The commissioners voted 5-2, with Lockfaw and Bunting opposed, to approve the MOUs with Seacrets, the Casino at Ocean Downs and Purnell Properties.
