Clark County is gearing up for its biggest sheriff staffing boost in years, signing off on 22 new deputy positions plus about 43 civilian support roles after a council vote this month. The move targets long running understaffing that has left the sheriff’s office near the bottom of statewide per capita staffing rankings. County officials say recruitment should start this summer, with the new hires rolling out in stages over the next several years.
Council Vote And Funding
At a meeting last week, the five member Clark County Council voted unanimously to authorize the new positions, using an optional 0.1% public safety sales and use tax to pay for them, according to Clark County Today. The decision covers 22 deputies plus dozens of civilian jobs across the courts, jail and prosecutor’s office.
Councilors pointed to a state law approved last year that let counties adopt the extra sales tax, saying that new revenue stream made a multi-year public safety staffing plan financially realistic instead of just a wish list.
Cost And How The Plan Phases In
County figures and news reports put the short term price tag for the added staffing at roughly $4 million to $5 million per year, while the full six year buildout could cost about $7 million to $12 million annually, as reported by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Start up spending will cover patrol vehicles, body armor and academy training, on top of salaries and benefits.
To avoid a sudden hit to the budget, officials plan to stagger the hiring over multiple years. The county’s 2026 budget request breaks out both recurring costs and one time expenses that sit behind the projected range.
How Undersized Is The Sheriff’s Office?
The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs ranked Clark County toward the bottom of the state for per capita law enforcement staffing in its 2024 report. The county’s own budget analysis estimates the sheriff’s office at roughly 0.57 deputies per 1,000 residents, well below statewide averages…