Obstacle filling positions with Collier County Sheriff’s Office

Finding affordable housing in Collier County has become an issue for filling positions with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office would like for the men and women to live where they protect and serve. However, it’s tough to do that since very little is available and what is available is incredibly expensive.

Sheriff Kevin Rambosk is close to sounding the alarm because it’s tough right now to recruit and retain deputies and other employees.

“Any vacancy concerns me because we plan on effective law enforcement coverage,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. “The problem is, like you, we have lost many people to the housing lottery.”

According to Rent.com, in Collier County, the average apartment costs $2,800 a month.

Sheriff Rambosk said, “We need to provide competitive compensation to our deputies, to get them through this economic crisis of today as well as being able to do that in the future.”

Increasing salaries, like Sheriff Rambosk wants,  will only help but it won’t solve the money troubles facing his people.

Collier County Commissioner, Penny Taylor said, “We are in a crisis for housing and affordable housing has morphed into this crisis so my question to you would be, how important is affixable housing to your ability to recruit as we can for deputies on your force.”

Sheriff Rambosk said, “I think I would answer this way, each and every business, each and every organization throughout collier county is facing the same thing and housing is a critical element for all of us to recruit and hire. So yes, we absolutely need the support in that.”

The sheriff offered one solution and leaves the other options up to the Collier County Commissioners.