By Pepper Fisher
SEQUIM – The Sequim Police Department is anticipating a near-crisis level shortage of officers, and the City Council is about to take the extraordinary step of authorizing an amendment to the 2023 annual budget to allow for the hiring of two new officers.
Over the last few years, the Sequim Police Department has experienced an unprecedented number of retirements, resignations, and injuries or illnesses that have left the department struggling to properly cover shift work. With upcoming retirements anticipated in the next two years, the City is looking at what the department describes as a perfect storm.
The Police Department is currently budgeted at 20 sworn officers. It’s down 3 officers, with one vacancy and two on medical leave, a 4th is scheduled to be out for several months, and a possible 5th officer vacancy in the future. This represents 25% of the City’s police force. Complicating matters further, putting a new officer on the street typically takes over a year because of training requirements and timing.
The Police Department is asking for one additional Sergeant FTE and one Officer FTE in 2023. This brings the total sworn officer staffing in the department up to 22 FTE, maintaining that level until the City navigates through the last retirement known to be coming up in the near future, and then allowing attrition to get back to 20 officers, if necessary, in the future.
The estimated financial impact of adding two officers for a partial year on the 2023 budget is $125,000, but much of that can be made in paying out less overtime going forward.
The City Council was expected to authorize the budget amendment Monday night.