Bingen-White Salmon Police adds officer position

Hepner told councilors that the position is required to have two officers on-duty during peak volume times each day.

At the current staffing level with five officers, the department’s officers frequently respond to high-risk calls, such as reports of domestic violence, by themselves with backup often 45 minutes away. Hepner said such a situation occurred twice in two weeks recently.

He noted that when an officer makes an arrest and is the only on-call officer, the city lacks law enforcement coverage during the time it takes to transport the arrested individual to Klickitat County Jail in Goldendale, which takes at minimum two hours.

“My number one priority for this position is safety and safety alone for my officers,” Hepner said.

In addition, the staffing shortage at the department has caused more than $50,000 in overtime wages, and Hepner said he expects the new position to offset up to $30,000 in overtime.

In response to a question about why the department is seeking the addition of an officer before budget discussions kick in, Hepner said “there is an exceptional candidate on the list right now looking to go elsewhere than their current position… Agencies an hour away from here are paying a $30,000 sign-on bonus and we’re not paying anything, just they want to go work here.”

Mayor Marla Keethler noted that losing the support of Comprehensive Healthcare to provide emergency behavioral healthcare as a partner with law enforcement, created a greater need for the department as it lessened their capacity to support people during mental health events. She added that having the discussion before entering into budget discussions will keep city officials more focused on other aspects of the proposed budget.

In tandem with the creation of the new position, White Salmon city councilors authorized the city to move $30,129 originally set aside for a social services position within the department to pay for the new officer within the 2022 budget. Grant funding outside of the department’s budget could instead cover the social services position, staff noted in their written report to council.

To pay for the officer in 2023, the city of White Salmon will forgo the annual transfer of $60,000 into a reserve fund for police vehicles. Ultimately the bottom line of the police department’s funding will not change in the department’s 2022 budget.

The city’s 2023 budget will increase the department’s funding by an estimated $110,694 to cover the new officer’s salary and benefits.

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The request for an additional police officer was considered prior to the two cities’ budget cycles and amid negotiations between Bingen and White Salmon for a renewal of the interlocal agreement authorizing the department’s jurisdiction over the City of Bingen, which was set to expire at the end of this year.

Bingen City Councilors approved a draft agreement at their Nov. 2 meeting which includes changes to the department’s funding structure. The two cities traditionally split the funding on a flat basis, but the renewed agreement provides for funding requirements based on the share of calls over a 12 month period from Aug. 1, 2021 to July 31, 2022.

The City of Bingen, whose councilors and mayor voiced support for the police officer addition, will pay 31% of the total department’s funding of $1,325.098, or no more than $410,780.

The agreement, which will come before the White Salmon City Council Nov. 16 for approval, also provides for a yearly review between the two cities to determine whether the proportions of the funding should be adjusted.