PORT ANGELES – Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict is looking to added financial incentives to try to fill vacancies in his department.

Benedict says he currently is down six positions for jail deputies and could use at least one more road deputy.

But filling positions has been difficult, not only for his department, but for many law enforcement organizations around the state.

“The staffing is so serious that in the state of Washington for every two positions that’s open,  in other words that the police agency would hire someone, there’s only one qualified applicant,” said Benedict appearing on Newsradio KONP’s “Todd Ortloff Show“.

Benedict presented a plan to county commissioners this week. It calls for an $8,500 retention bonus for jail deputies staying on the job more than three years, $10,000 for road deputies.

He would like to offer a $2500 bonus to any county employee that successfully aids in recruiting and getting deputies in place.

They are also offering a $25,000 bonus for lateral moves for road deputies and $21,000 for lateral moves of jail deputies and a $10,000 bonus for new hires.

“And what this represents is that this by no means is top tier. Seattle is paying 30 or 35 thousand, Kitsap county is paying the same. But the approach we took is, is that at least. I recommended to our HR department as well as the commissioners that halfway measures aren’t going to address this. We need to acknowledge this,” said Benedict.

Benedict says on the top end the bonuses could cost $850,000. He thinks it may come in closer to a total of $600,000.

“The commissioners are debating whether it would come out of the general fund or the ARPA funds. It is one time. All of this is predicated on  that this is not something we’ve negotiated with the union. This is just something we are offering. We can end it, modify it change it cancel it anytime we choose.”

County commissioners are still mulling over the plan.