Shortage of law
enforcement officers grows
Staff writer
Marion police are now down two full-time officers and a third will be unavailable because of training.
Bryant Edwards, who had been attending the state law enforcement academy, was let go because of unsatisfactory academic performance, interim chief Zach Hudlin said Monday.
In November, the department had been up to full staff with five full-time officers and four part-timers, but Edwards, one of two hired from the sheriff’s office, and another, Jonathon Benevidez, were terminated.
Dustin Woodford, hired from the Hillsboro police department, where he was a part-time officer, has not yet attended training academy.
Aaron Slater and Hudlin are the department’s fully licensed officers.
“The county’s having to help us out quite a bit,” Hudlin said.
But that has been no easy task for an understaffed sheriff’s office.
Undersheriff Larry Starkey said the department has five full-time road deputies, not counting three recently hired deputies — Austin Spencer, Clayton Philpott, and Jesse Raney — who are scheduled to go to academy March 25.
One more full-time deputy would bring the sheriff’s office up to full staff.
Byron D. McDonald, 39, was fired in January after his domestic partner reported that he had kicked her during an argument.