Sheriff Grady Judd's viral recruitment message to TSA, ICE agents: ‘You'll always get a paycheck’
Grady Judd recruiting TSA agents, ICE agents
Amid a partial government shutdown, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is encouraging TSA and ICE agents to come work for him. FOX 13's Carla Bayron reports.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Amid a partial government shutdown, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is encouraging TSA and ICE agents to come work for him.
On Monday, the sheriff posted a short recruitment video to the sheriff's office Facebook page, and as of Wednesday, it has amassed nearly a million views.
The backstory:
It's an appeal to TSA agents, tens of thousands of whom nationwide aren't being paid because of a partial government shutdown as lawmakers debate funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Many have either quit or called off work, leading to long lines at the airport.
What they're saying:
"I'm really frustrated with Congress," Judd said. "Using TSA and support staff from ICE as political pawns is just not right. You can come to work with me, and you'll always get a paycheck. No one's ever missed a paycheck at the sheriff's office."
Courtesy: Polk County Sheriff's Office
Last year, ICE tried to recruit Polk County deputies via email, which went too far, according to the sheriff. But his recruitment message was done more so to send a message of appreciation to TSA and to ICE.
"They're protecting the skies and keeping us safe and being not only abused by those in line, I understand their frustration. They need to chill out though, because these people are trying to do a job without pay," Judd said.
By the numbers:
If you're state certified as a law enforcement officer. The sheriff's office is offering a $20,000 sign-on bonus. TSA and ICE agents can be eligible for a scholarship and paid police academy training.
Right now, the sheriff's office has only 14 openings out of 1,200 positions, so there's no shortage of deputies. Still, they're always recruiting because of retirements and normal attrition.
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PCSO is looking for people like TSA agents who are loyal, dedicated and willing to work despite not receiving a paycheck.
"Congress and their politics has created all this scrum," Judd said. "Congress needs to act like responsible adults that we thought to send to Washington to solve these problems."
What's next:
Judd says they have received some interest and calls for applications since their viral post.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from interviews with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and information from FOX News.