A San Mateo County Sheriff's vehicle appears at a field sobriety checkpoint in December 2021. Deputies have been forced to work mandatory overtime to cope with staffing shortages as the county works to hire new recruits. In the meantime, county supervisors have approved double overtime pay for deputies who pull more than 9 hours of OT duty per week. (San Mateo County Sheriff's Office/Facebook)

The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors earlier this month approved the financial incentives for the county’s deputies amid efforts to maintain staffing levels in the Sheriff’s Office.

The Board on Dec. 12 voted unanimously to pass a six-month temporary funding agreement to financially support the deputies this holiday season, Supervisor Ray Mueller’s office said.

For the next six months, San Mateo County will be paying double time to officers who are working more than 9 hours of overtime a week.

According to Mueller’s office, San Mateo County deputies have been working long periods of mandatory overtime.

“While help is on the way, as new hire and lateral candidates are currently moving through the hiring process, ensuring public safety is maintained is a first priority. This investment is a message to our Sheriff’s deputies that our community values them and honors their personal sacrifice, as they work long hours away from their families, to protect the community,” Mueller said in a statement.