Staffing, Safety, and the Strain We Carry
From a current Sergeant
I've been with this department long enough to remember when we were a closer team and had more hands on deck. I also remember the years we endured without pay raises — many of us stayed not for the money, but for the mission and each other.
But things are not okay now.
We are not properly staffed, and we are not safe. We're managing a population that thrives on violence and the flow of contraband. Those who actually need help often become easy targets. It’s dangerous for staff and inmates alike.
We’re labeled as “fully staffed,” but that’s based on contingency hires — backups waiting in the wings in case someone retires, quits, or fails out. On paper, it looks fine. In practice, it’s not.
The days of putting in hard work to earn better shifts or training opportunities are behind us. Shift assignments no longer consider personal or family situations. It feels like the department just needs warm bodies — not people.
We're hiring staff with questionable backgrounds — some with mental health concerns, some who later bring in contraband or engage in violence. The rush to fill spots is compromising our safety.
Meanwhile, admin and special assignments are thriving. When a Sergeant position opens in those areas, promotions often go to those already embedded — sometimes with minimal experience. It’s demoralizing for those of us in the trenches.
We’re ghosting posts with level 3 admin staff. In housing units, staff often run entire dorms alone. For H03 status or lower, we're doing security checks and searches alone — with no backup. We’re finding weapons, phones, or inmates so high they don’t even know where they are. It only takes one bad situation for disaster.
Some staff are quietly reassigned to non-security roles due to health concerns, continuing to earn and build toward retirement. Others are denied these accommodations — even with medical documentation. ADA in Tallahassee has become a dead end. We've heard them say no one gets approved.
Our greatest source of stress isn’t even the inmates — it's the system itself. That pressure, combined with the daily danger, wears people down. I’ve worked alongside some of the best individuals I’ve ever known, but too many were pushed through training just to fill a quota.
We need real support — not just staffing numbers on paper. We need leadership to stop with the criticism and start addressing the real dangers we face. Despite it all, we continue the mission — because that's who we are. But we deserve better.
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