LONGVIEW — Local law enforcement agencies say they are facing staffing shortages because people are more skeptical about policing, and some departments are offering hiring bonuses to entice workers.
Fewer applicants
Longview Police Department Capt. Brandon McNew said there are fewer local officer applicants today because of national anti-police rhetoric, which is creating a “competitive market.”
“If you talk to potential candidates, they say there is a national narrative of mistrust of police officers,” McNew said. “That is definitely not our experience here.”
To draw applicants, local departments are offering more money. The Kelso Police Department is offering a $20,000 incentive for new lateral hires — up from $5,000. According to Kelso City Council documents, the incentive will be paid out at the end of each year for four consecutive years for officers who accept positions that are at the same level as their previous employment.
In October, Castle Rock hired a previous Longview officer about two months after the City Council approved a $5,000 signing bonus. According to the city, $2,500 will be paid when the officer is hired and the rest after 90 days of employment. The new hire fills a roughly eight-month vacancy left when former Chief Scott Neves moved to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue last winter.
Fewer detectives
McNew said there are about four open positions at the Longview Police Department. When the department is low on staff, specialized officers, like detectives, are downgraded to street patrol to maintain basic services, he added.
McNew said a two-person unit to investigate speeding complaints and non-injury traffic collisions was eliminated last winter to place officers on patrol. He said detectives have to be “more choosy on crimes to solve,” when there are fewer investigators looking into offenses.
Increased retires
Cowlitz County Chief Criminal Deputy Troy Brightbill said roughly 14% of the department’s staff retired in 2021 for reasons such as dealing with COVID-19 and recent state legislation changes.
Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee signed a sweeping police reform package last spring that makes it harder for police to detain and question suspects.
Brightbill said the department is working to replace the six who retired, as well as hire more to keep up with the “complicated” new state legislation, as well as population increases.
The sheriff’s office patrols unincorporated parts of Cowlitz County, which has seen populations increase faster than local cities, according to a 2020 Cowlitz County housing survey. The 2020 Cowlitz County Housing Action Plan states unincorporated Cowlitz County’s population increased roughly 7% from 2010 to 2019, while incorporated Cowlitz County grew 5.5%.
Brightbill said four new deputies in 2022 will increase the department’s patrol for the first time in at least two decades. Each of the four patrol units will include a sergeant and six deputies. Currently there are two fewer deputies on each patrol unit, he added.
Cowlitz County commissioners approved funding in September to hire the four new deputies in 2022 with a total of $871,135, according to meeting minutes. Vehicles for each deputy will be covered in 2021 through a motor pool fund, state the minutes.
