Elected officials in Vancouver and Clark County have made prudent decisions regarding the funding of law enforcement. But being judicious does not solve the problem.
The city and county councils have decided not to place measures on the August ballot asking voters to fund additional law enforcement officers. That does not preclude later ballot measures, but it does represent an appropriate reading of voters, who seem reluctant to approve increased spending for any purpose.
In November, city of Vancouver voters rejected Proposition 4, which would have added 80 police officers and 36 nonsworn staff, with 53 percent of the vote. And this week, with concerns about the economy nearing a crescendo, local voters rejected two school funding measures and a proposal related to fire services in Camas-Washougal.
“There’s too much uncertainty in this economy,” Vancouver Mayor McEnerny-Ogle said. “We’re taking it slow and easy and going for the temperature of the community.”
Earlier this month, as the Clark County Council also delayed a funding request, Councilor Glen Yung told Sheriff John Horch: “It’s not that we didn’t want to or didn’t feel like it was absolutely necessary to give you extra staffing in the past. It’s just, it was about timing. I want to make sure that we do it right, that we can do adequate funding and not just a little piecemeal.”
With municipal governments facing budget shortages and with voters feeling uneasy, the future of funding is uncertain. Yet the need for law enforcement staffing remains.
As McEnerny-Ogle said, “We still need the new officers.” And as Horch said: “Our staffing has to change. We’ve put as many people back on patrol as we can from our specialty units. And the next option would be to start cutting back some of our specialty units, and they’re very important — the Children’s Justice Center, you name it, Major Crimes.”
Washington ranks last among the states in law enforcement officers per capita, and Vancouver and Clark County fall short of that low statewide bar. The Vancouver Police Department has 1.19 officers per 1,000 residents; the Clark County Sheriff’s Office has 0.64 deputies per 1,000 residents. The statewide average in 2023 was 1.24 officers per 1,000 residents.
As the Washington Association of Police Chiefs & Sheriffs reported earlier this year, using numbers that include Washington, D.C.: “Washington has ranked 51st in the nation for officers per capita for 14 consecutive years, and we’re only falling further behind. … Five years ago, Washington was a mere 562 officers short of tying for 50th in the nation. Today, Washington must hire 1,370 additional officers to share last place.”
On top of that, the Clark County Council is seeking a way to fund a $471 million renovation and expansion of the county jail.
All of that places local officials in public relations mode, stressing the facts about law enforcement staffing and attempting to sway public opinion. It also should lead to collaborative efforts between the city council and county council; public safety impacts all residents, regardless of where they live.
As Clark County Manager Kathleen Otto said: “There’s no rush for us to do anything for August, and I think that is a good move. I think it allows us to continue to be more collaborative and intentional on what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
Considering the mood of the public, a delay is sensible. But the need for increased staffing remains.
