"We were extremely short": Wake Co. Sheriff's Office retirees returning to duty - WRAL News

RALEIGH, N.C. — After more than two decades in law enforcement, Todd Davis figured he’d enjoy some quiet time when he left the Wake County Sheriff’s Office earlier this year.

Davis said it was a great accomplishment to retire, but then he got a phone call from Sheriff Willie Rowe asking him to come back.

"He has his ways of persuading you, in a good way," Davis said, laughing.

Now, after just a month away, Davis is back in uniform, part of a wave of retirees returning to their roles with Wake County.

According to Rowe, recruitment has been one of his top priorities and 11 retirees have been brought in by the department so far since December, part of his plan to grow his department by 200 to 300 deputies over the next five years.

"It’s just important that we have sufficient staff levels so that we can make Wake County the safest place," Rowe explained.

Rowe isn’t the first Sheriff to go after retirees. Other departments, including the Orange County Sheriff’s office, confirmed bringing back retired deputies is part of their normal play book.

Rowe, however, has made it a priority.

"We were extremely short, and we needed to address that immediately," Rowe said.

However, retirees face salary limits and can only work part time without losing their benefits.

The catch is a concern for returnees like Maj. Greg Newkirk, "because you basically have to freeze your retirement to come back."

But with police departments and Sheriff’s offices short-staffed state wide, the General Assembly is now looking to change that.

Republican Sen. Buck Newton is one of twelve sponsors of the so-called “Bring Back Our Heroes” Bill. Newton said the bill should help with the staffing issues.

The bill would tweak state law to allow retired deputies and officers to return to work full time without giving up their benefits, so long as their employers keep paying into the retirement system.

"There is really a critical need," Newton said. "A lot of other states have been able to do this without any problems, and so we’ve investigated that."

But while Newton says this bill will make a difference, even if it passes, it’s not a silver bullet.

Sheriff Rowe said the creative thinking - and recruiting - will continue to be critical in keeping Wake County Safe.

"We have to think outside the box, so I embrace this new change." Rowe said.

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