In his first official act as interim CEO of the Oklahoma County Detention Center, Tim Kimrey made an urgent appeal Thursday morning to the Oklahoma County Budget Board to raise detention officer pay amid staffing and safety concerns.
Key Takeaways from the Meeting:
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- Urgent Call for Pay Raises:
- Kimrey urged the board to raise salaries to help recruit and retain detention officers, calling current conditions “unsustainable.”
- Understaffed & Overworked:
- The jail houses around 1,700 inmates daily but has only 117 detention officers.
- Pay Not Enough to Support a Family:
- Officers take home just over $2,600/month, according to Kimrey. He says that’s not enough to support a family or keep staff long-term.
- High Turnover Rates:
- The jail loses an average of 215 employees annually, with many citing low pay and dangerous working…