KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — "Too close to home... that hit way too close to home."
Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said the deadly shooting in Nashville caught the nation's attention -- especially those closer to the heart of the tragedy.
"We train for that active shooter. We train to go to the noise -- that noise being whether it be screaming, gunfire, whatever," he said.
At a roundtable session with media on Friday, Spangler praised the efforts of the officers who stopped the Nashville shooting roughly four minutes after arriving at the school. But he also shared his concerns about the dwindling number of people who are willing to step up and serve.
A total of 26 KCSO deputies are assigned to protect Knox County schools. Some of them cover more than one, but Spangler says it's always been his goal to have one officer in every school.
He said that's simply not possible right now because recruiting and retaining officers is a huge challenge.
"I think everybody knows things that have gone on within our country and with COVID and everything over the past several years. Law enforcement has taken a big hit," he said.
Spangler said his department has 420 post-certified positions. Only 366 of those are filled today. In the Corrections Division, the department has 291 allotted positions. 93 of those positions are open.
According to Knox County's fiscal year 2023 budget, public safety has 1,073 total allotted positions for law enforcement and support staff.
"We are in a bidding war across this state and across this country trying to hire individuals," he said.
Spangler said roughly 60% of his $95 million budget in FY 2022 went toward salaries and benefits, and another large chunk went toward corrections.
According to Spangler, starting pay for a Knox County corrections officer is just over $39,000 plus benefits. In Blount and Hamilton counties, he said it is $50,000.
"The compensation right now is just not there," he said. "We're the third-largest county in the state of Tennessee. And we're not anywhere near being third and paying our officers what they should be paid."
For comparison, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said it operates under a $65 million budget and employs 540 people as the fourth-largest county in the state.
The sheriff said to compete with other departments, he has to offer more. That's why he's asking Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs for a budget increase.
"I am asking for a 30% increase for captains and below in our corrections and law enforcement divisions," Spangler said.
In the 2023 fiscal year budget, Knox County leaders approved more than $101 million toward public safety from the county's general fund. Public safety accounts for the largest portion of spending from the $205 million general fund -- nearly 50%.
Spangler said law enforcement officers deserve it for the sheer fact they're willing to risk their lives to save another.
"They're doing things on a daily basis that the average person will never do in their lifetime," he said.
Spangler said he will be making his case for a budget increase before the mayor and County Commission later this spring.
