HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — As the largest county in Texas continues to grow, so does the demand on the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
The department is in dire need of detention officers and wants to recruit quickly.
Currently, there are about 1,900 HCSO detention officers, and according to Lieutenant Mike Nguyen, the department is looking to hire 500 more to outweigh the risks that come with these vacancies.
"We're looking at over 10,000 inmates in the Harris County Jail," said Lieutenant Nguyen. "The safety of the inmates, safety of the jail personnel, and this is not just strictly with us, but we're looking at a nationwide issue with staffing."
In order to entice recruits, HCSO is raising pay for new detention officers.
"Commissioners Court just recently approved a 12% raise," Nguyen explained. "We're looking at 22.39 an hour, and the ones that work overtime they're looking at making 62, $63,000 a year minimum. Some are making a lot more than that."
The department will be hosting an upcoming open house and hiring event on November 11. If prospects are ready to apply, the department will give a physical agility test on the spot and assist with the application process.
"This is a good time to go out there, speak to a detention officer, get to know what their job duties are, get to see what they deal with on a regular basis and this may be a career for you," said Nguyen.
For more information on the event and what it takes to become a detention officer, click here. To reach a recruiter directly with the department, call 713-877-5250 or visit HCSOJobs.com.