Law enforcement funding, recruitment, retention challenging
Law enforcement personnel from Columbia Basin agencies attend a training session in January 2024. A proposal to allocate money to hire additional officers statewide will be considered by the Washington Legislature.
FILE PHOTO
Othello Police Chief Dave Rehaume, left, and Assistant OPD Chief Aaron Garza, right, hang the plaque recognizing the OPD’s accreditation. Hiring additional officers statewide is the focus of a bill submitted for consideration during the 2025 Washington Legislative Session.
Washington State Senator Jeff Holy (R-Spokane) is co-sponsoring a bill to allocate up to $100 million to hire additional law enforcement officers statewide.
OLYMPIA — A proposal to allocate money to help hire additional law enforcement officers would address one part of a complex challenge — but recruiting isn’t necessarily the biggest challenge for Columbia Basin law enforcement agencies. That was the reaction of local law enforcement agencies to the proposed legislation.
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