The city of Washougal has awarded its police officers with a salary increase and annual retention bonuses as part of its continuing efforts to recruit and retain quality employees.
The Washougal City Council approved a 2.5 percent pay hike for Washougal Police Department officers during its Nov. 7 meeting.
“We have actually been relatively successful in attracting candidates that want to come here, whether they’re entry level or lateral (transfers), so we feel good about that,” City Manager David Scott told the Post-Record. “However, it has become a more challenging job market, and so that’s why we wanted to update our analysis to make sure that we were competitive.”
The city completed a salary study earlier this year and concluded that all sergeants and detectives should receive a 2.5 percent salary increase, which went into effect Nov. 6, according to a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Washougal Police Officers Union.