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Current Issues

Unsafe police:citizen ratio

The State of Washington boasts the lowest law enforcement to citizen ratio in the United States. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office ranks last in the state in officers per citizen at 0.57 deputies per 1000 citizens [pdf]. As our county continues to grow at a pace far out exceeding all other local counties, our department members leave in droves to other local agencies and outside employment opportunities, and our county administrators fail to see the value of their employee base – providing sub-standard incentive packages; Clark County is on track for a public safety crisis.

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A reality check

We are facing unprecedented times where the shortage of qualified, excellent law-enforcement professionals has resulted in stark labor economic conditions. Supply is low. Demand is high. That means CCSO deputies can take their skills to other agencies and immediately earn significantly more pay and benefits to support and nurture their families.

We must address the reality of our labor shortage and start fixing the problem. The first – and most important – step is to retain our current Deputies and Sergeants. Then, we must start recruiting to fill our vacancies.

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Staffing Levels are further dwindling

CCSO Deputies/Sergeants are leaving for other agencies, most notably Vancouver PD

  • 118: Current DSG Staffing Level for Deputies and Sergeants.
  • 14: Vacancies for Deputies and Sergeants.
  • ~11%: Current vacancy rate and growing.
  • 12: Number of CCSO Deputies/Sergeants that retired (6) or left (6) for other law enforcement agencies in last 6 months.
  • 14: Number of CCSO Deputies/Sergeants that are currently in the hiring process for other law enforcement agencies (6 with VPD alone).
  • 28: Vacancies for Deputies and Sergeants if all 14 decide to lateral to other agencies. ~21% Vacancy rate if all 14 leave.

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The People want a change

A Survey on ClarkCountyToday asked "With 48 current vacancies in the Clark County Sheriff's Office, should Clark County increase incentives and wages to attract applicants in an attempt to address the staffing crisis?"
The results show (as of April 22, 2022) that just over 93% (798 out of 858) said "Yes" to an increase.



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Who can I contact?

Documents / Records

Comparable Presentation to Council


[PDF]

Property Crime Town Hall (Jan 2022)


[YouTube]

The Columbian - Property Crime

Service Cuts


[pdf]

Lowest LEO Ratio


[pdf]