Haywood County sheriff reports caseload increase, spike in child-abuse cases and staffing gaps

Sheriff William Wilkey told the Haywood County Board of Commissioners on June 1 that the sheriff's office is seeing heavier investigative workloads and growing child-abuse caseloads, and he urged attention to staffing.

"Cases went up approximately 150," Wilkey said, and he described the criminal investigations division's workload as roughly double the national average for comparable offices. He said child-abuse investigations have increased by about 50% over the last two years, adding pressure on DSS and investigators.

Wilkey said shortages extend across the agency: vacancies exist in CID, patrol and the detention center. He told the board some recruits decline work for higher pay elsewhere and that detention work is particularly difficult. He said one immediate need is at least one additional CID position and that salary competitiveness matters for retention.

On the jail, Wilkey said the county is not yet using the new facility because one final state inspection remains outstanding. He outlined detention programming provided inside the jail, including NA, AA and referrals to counseling groups; he said the jail has had anecdotal success with some individuals who later contacted staff from other parts of the state.

Wilkey also summarized drug-seizure trends in the annual report materials, saying methamphetamine seizures have fallen while fentanyl and cocaine indicators have varied; he attributed some shifts to broader trafficking and border patterns.

Commissioners asked for staffing figures and additional detail on vacancies; Wilkey said he would follow up with rosters and more precise numbers. He also said printed copies of the full annual report would be posted online and available to commissioners and the public.

The sheriff characterized the data as complex and not attributable to a single cause but said the trends support requests for additional personnel and resources to meet rising investigative demands.