Etowah County Sheriff’s Office adds 4 deputy positions, boosts pay incentives
ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - Etowah County Sheriff’s Office is expanding with new patrol deputy positions and an increased pay incentive, according to Sheriff Jonathon W. Horton.
Horton said the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office and the Etowah County Commission have been working together for months to help strengthen patrol coverage across the county. The result of their work is the addition of four new patrol deputy positions.
“We’ve come a long way since I first took office in 2019, but I can’t say I did it all on my own,” Horton said. “I’d like to personally thank each commissioner for seeing the need and supporting our efforts to make Etowah County the safest in the state.”
According to the sheriff’s office, their deputies are responsible for patrolling nearly 550 square miles, an area which spans from one end of the county to the other and includes some of its most rural roads and communities.
“Every additional deputy on the road shortens the distance between a call for help and the person answering it,” the sheriff’s office wrote.
“These new positions will fill a much-needed gap in our ability to respond to your calls, no matter the time of day,” Horton said. “It’s the greatest honor to serve this county as your Sheriff, and I look forward to what the future holds.”
The sheriff’s office said deputies also earn incentive pay on top of their base hourly wages, awarded for years of service, rank, specialty certification and physical fitness. Those incentives are cumulative: a deputy’s total salary is base hourly pay, plus every incentive they have earned.
| Years of service incentive pay | Rank incentive pay | Categories incentive pay | Additional incentive pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 years of service: $3,505/year ($67 weekly) | Deputy Sheriff Trainee: $0 | Category 1: $600/year ($11 weekly) | Physical fitness test: $500/year ($125 quarterly) |
| 5–9 years: $4,008/year ($77 weekly) | Deputy Sheriff: $500/year ($9 weekly) | Category 2: $900/year ($17 weekly) | Hazardous duty pay: $100/month |
| 10–14 years: $4,500/year ($86 weekly) | Senior/Specialist: $1,000/year ($19 weekly) | Category 3: $1,200/year ($23 weekly) | |
| 15–19 years: $5,004/year ($96 weekly) | Investigator: $2,000/year ($38 weekly) | ||
| 20–24 years: $5,508/year ($105 weekly) | Sergeant: $3,000/year ($57 weekly) | ||
| 25+ years: $6,000/year ($115 weekly) | Lieutenant: $4,000/year ($76 weekly) | ||
| Captain: $5,000/year ($96 weekly) | |||
| Assistant Chief: $6,000/year ($115 weekly) |
- Total salary = base hourly + years of service + any category/PT incentives
“As Sheriff, my goal is to ensure we have the most well-trained and prepared deputies patrolling our roads,” said Horton. “With that comes experience and training, which I believe should be rewarded through these incentives so our men and women can build a career here at home and not have to look somewhere else to do it. I’m grateful to the Commission for standing behind that.”
The Sheriff’s Office is hiring now for all four positions. Anyone interested in a career in law enforcement with the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office can find application information by clicking or tapping here.
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