SEQUIM — The City of Sequim plans to increase its police force numbers following a string of retirements, resignations and injuries.
Sequim Police Department has been operating at about 75 percent staffing levels (15 of 20 officers), according to Chief Sheri Crain. So to get ahead of impending retirements and attrition, she proposed increasing full-time officers from 20 to 22.
The Sequim City Council unanimously approved at a public hearing April 24 an ordinance to increase police staffing with no public comment or council discussion. A budget amendment may be brought back later in the year as adding the positions could cost about $125,000 more to the city for the rest of 2023, staff report, but overtime costs may decrease this year due to more staffing being available.
“What [the new positions] will allow us to do is get ahead of the hiring game,” Crain previously said.
The city has budgeted for 20 full-time officers the last four years, and four officers have retired or resigned since 2021. Two more officers become retirement eligible in 2024 and 2025.
Crain said the department does continuous testing for candidates and keeps active lists allowing them to have extensive background checks already done.
How long it takes between offering an entry level candidate a job and entering the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) fluctuates though.
Crain said right now it’s taking about nine months as most state agencies are hiring.
The advantage of hiring a lateral officer, someone with experience, Crain said, “takes out that entire process in the middle so application to start date is closer to three months or so.”
Per the city’s amendment, it added a sergeant and an officer to the roster, but Crain said the sergeant position was a bookkeeping, budget requirement, as they already hired the sergeant position, returning retiree John Southard.
“We’ve changed our composition of staff for now and prior to the request for the additional [positions],” she said. “The two new hires will be police officers to assist with our patrol staffing issues.”
Emily Stednick, Sequim’s human resources director, said the two officer vacancies are posted online through the city’s website.
She said the timeline before the job offer process can take weeks to months as candidates must take a written exam, a physical ability test and complete an application, followed by oral boards with a diverse panel, and a final chief’s interview prior to the extensive background process.
Lateral candidates working as law enforcement officers must follow the above except the physical ability test, Stednick said.
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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.
