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 Traffic is an issue for most Americans. But no one wastes more hours behind the wheel than those unfortunate souls who have to drive the highways and byways of the nation’s most populous state – California.
For cops, the situation is critical. The last thing a police officer needs in addition to the stress of the job is even less time to spend with family and friends. That’s why Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle wants the county to consider renting a house that would serve as a dormitory so that deputies have a place they can sleep overnight if they don’t want to face the two-hour commute. Doyle hopes that renting a house where employees can spend the night will help recruit deputies who can’t afford to live in Marin.
To give you an indication about the high cost of living in the area, relatively well paid public safety professionals can’t come close to affording property in the area. In Marin County, a five-year veteran deputy is paid $83,824 annually while a normal home can cost several million dollars. Currently, some deputies that don’t want to lose valuable time on a hellish commute actually sleep in the county jail.
The four-bed jail dorm room was originally designated for emergencies, but is now in use around the clock. Sheriff Doyle is pitching the dorm idea to county supervisors who are interested, but is not yet ready to commit county cash. “This is a way for us to keep abreast and remain competitive in the market,” Doyle told the Marin Independent Journal.
“It’s a viable alternative.” Eighty-five percent of Doyle’s staff lives outside the county. Officials said 29 of the 200 deputies live at least 50 miles from the Marin Civic Center, with some as far away as Redding, Yuba City and Bakersfield. Doyle said Marin’s program would be modeled after one in San Mateo County.
There, the local government rents a house in Redwood City and has a dorm in its substation at Moss Beach. San Mateo Lt. Steve Shively estimates 28 to 34 deputies use the Redwood City house each week. It has six bedrooms and 14 beds. “It’s pretty well used,” he told the Journal’s Brad Breithaupt. “It’s a great benefit for the deputies.” Doyle said the rental would not be permanent housing for deputies, but a closer-to-work place where they can spend their off hours.
Several deputies routinely spend the night in the jail’s four-bed dorm room. Others rent rooms from employees who live closer to Marin. And every now and then, deputies find an open bed at a county firehouse. San Mateo County pays $3,800 per month to rent its cop-dorm house. It does not charge deputies for staying there. Most deputies work three 12-hour shifts a week and face lengthy commutes. After spending 12 hours on the job and four hours commuting, there isn’t much time left at home. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites        
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