Fulton County Sheriff's Office offering monetary bonus for new recruits

Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat says the department is offering a $9,000 signing bonus for new recruits.

ATLANTA - Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat will give new hires a huge bonus for earning the badge and agreeing to commit to the department.

The sheriff described the competition as "fierce" in law enforcement to secure qualified individuals.

"We have to be creative," Labat told FOX 5.

The county has approximately 1,100 positions overall. Currently, 170 are unfilled.

Labat said he is losing people every week. Some have gone to the city of Atlanta School police force for a better pension.

"Now, the bonus comes with some stipulations," said Labat.

He is asking the new hires to remain with the department for a minimum of three years to qualify for the extra cash.

Anyone interested can check the sheriff’s web page. The county is having a job fair on Saturday.

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