By BARBARA GREEN
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Trying to keep the staff rosters full of trained personnel at the Bowie Fire and Bowie Police Departments continues to be an ongoing problem, as employees leave after a brief tenure primarily to take more high paying jobs often in the Metroplex.
Both departments have been taking applications and testing for their vacancies. Police Chief Guy Green said in the last few weeks they have lost one long-time dispatcher who is leaving to take a job with the county clerk’s office, and one more patrol officer, as Cpl. Andrew Poole resigned to take a school resource officer position at Valley View.
Earlier last month, the PD lost Patrol Officer Marlon Bryant who left the job to help his father who lives in the Panhandle area, where Bryant is working for the Hemphill County sheriff’s office.
Cameron Hughes, patrol, left for another job on Dec. 14, but that vacancy was filled by Justin Walker who came to Bowie from the Van Alystyne Police Department with about two years of experience. Poole, who lives in Nocona, will remain as a BPD reserve. The department is budgeted for 17 people across the entire department.

While the fire department is fully staffed with one new person coming on to fill a pending departure, Chief Chief Doug Page said since August 2023 they have seen seven officers leave, some with short tenures and a few others with several years depart for other jobs. That number jumps to eight with one leaving this weekend and his replacement coming in.
Bowie fire is budgeted for 15 paid members.

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.