Denton County commissioners held off on revising the county’s detention officer referral program Tuesday, which is intended to help the Denton County Sheriff’s Office hire new detention officers by offering a one-time $500 referral incentive.
Gustavo Hernandez, director of human resources, said he had talks with Sheriff Tracy Murphree, who wants to add six months for those hired from the program before any person receives the referral amount after an individual quit shortly after receiving the incentive.
“There was a situation in which the employee received the amount, and then the person that he or she referred — [the] employee quit two days later,” Hernandez said. “So the intention is that the person at least stays six months.”
The Denton Record-Chronicle reached out to Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Orlando “Hino” Hinojosa for more details on the person who quit after receiving the referral incentive, when the program was enacted and if the person was the only one who quit after receiving the incentive.
Eligibility requirements for referred applicants
The referral program was not intended to be a long-term solution to recruiting difficulties, and the county can revise or discontinue at any time without notice.
The newly hired employee and the referring employee must be employed by Denton County at the time the referral incentive is scheduled to be paid, the agenda item says.
If commissioners approve the changes, there will be several requirements for the referred applicants to receive receive the additional compensation:
- Applicants must be selected for hire into a full-time or part-time detention officer position, must obtain the basic jailer license certification through the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and must have worked six months as a detention officer.
- Applicants must identify the referring employee at the time of the application submission.
- Applicants who have completed the application process for a detention officer before the approval of the referral program will not be considered valid referrals.
- Applicants who are current Denton County employees will not be considered valid referrals.
- Applicants who have separated from Denton County within the past three months will not be considered valid referrals for the purposes of this policy.
Requirements for employees who refer applicants
- Eligible employees can be full-time or part-time employees of Denton County.
- Eligible employees cannot work in the Human Resources Department or be an elected official.
- Eligible employees must be named by the applicant at the time of the application submission and be named on the application.
- Eligible employees must be an active employee at the time of the scheduled referral payment. Employees who have separated from the county before payment will not be eligible.
- Denton County employees may not receive a referral payment for applicants who were previously hired under the referral program.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Ryan Williams suggested the item be postponed because Murphree was not present at the meeting Tuesday morning.
“That’s not the referring person’s fault,” Williams said during the Tuesday meeting. “I suggest we table this until the next opportunity so the sheriff can come and give his explanation.”