The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is still experiencing staffing shortages, but it is actively hiring and improving its recruitment efforts to reach full capacity.
- KCSO has increased staffing from 67% to 86%Â over the past three years but still hasn’t reached full capacity.
- A years-long hiring freeze and high attrition rates contributed to the department’s long-term staffing shortages.
- The hiring process is rigorous, including a written test, background check, psychological evaluation, and medical exam.
- Interest in law enforcement careers is rising, making the process more competitive—now is a strategic time to apply.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office says it is making progress with staffing, but it is still not fully staffed. Here’s a closer look at the status of the KCSO hiring process.
This is the third consecutive year that the Kern County Sheriff’s Office has held a year-long hiring campaign. Initially, the agency had only 67% staffing. They’ve now reached 86%, which is a significant improvement but still falls short of their goal.
Lori Meza, KCSO’s Public Information Officer, says, “I know we had a lot of unique circumstances that led to our shortages. I know we had a hiring freeze for years, so we couldn’t keep up with attrition because we were losing too many people while hiring too few. And now we’re seeing a huge increase in interest in law enforcement, which I believe has accelerated in recent years.”
Meza explains that the application process is extensive and involves several steps. Initially, applicants submit an application. If they qualify, they will take a written test. Those who pass must then undergo a background check, psychological evaluation, and medical examination. “We really want to learn everything we can about you.” We want to ensure that we are hiring people who not only have no criminal history, but also do not exhibit or demonstrate signs of potential misconduct in the future.”
Meza indicates that employee retention is not currently a significant challenge. However, retirements do occur on occasion. “It’s a unique career in which we hire entire academies at once. So, even if they applied on a different day or month, we wait until we have an academy, and the entire academy will go through, graduate, and start together—so you see batches.”
According to Meza, the current main challenge is vetting a large number of applicants in order to select the most qualified candidates. She adds that as staffing levels improve, the hiring process will become more competitive, making now an excellent time to apply.
There will be additional training opportunities available throughout the year for deputy and detentions deputy positions.
