Drug abuse may be to blame for deputy shortage in county in southern West Virginia

A growing epidemic of drug abuse is limiting the number of applicants for deputy sheriff in one southern West Virginia county. Over the past two years, only three out of 100 applicants make it through the deputy application process at the Mercer County Sheriff's Department, Jessica Lilly of West Virginia Public Broadcasting reports. (Wikipedia map)

The application process consists consists of a physical agility test, background investigation, written test and medical exam, including a drug screen. Last year, 15 of the 54 applicants showed up for the physical test and only six passed. Of those six, three withdrew before the background check and two failed.

Major Darrel Baily of the Mercer County Sheriff's Department "suspects that the candidates withdraw before the background checks for fear of hard drugs in their past," Lilly reports. (Read more) To hear the audio report, click here.