BOONE COUNTY - The Boone County Sheriff's Department is offering a paid deputy sheriff training program to attract new hires. They find themselves short of applicants for the program, a common problem not just in law enforcement across mid-Missouri and the country. Captain Brian Leer says there could be a number of reasons. "I think there's several things that contribute to the fact that we see a decline in applicants," Captain Leer said. "One of which, obviously, is the political and social environment, what you see on the national arena and national news is really negative. You're not seeing those positive interactions."Â