Commission hears staffing and recruiting update; discusses vacancy and North Sound Police Foundation bylaws

Julie Good, the commission’s chief examiner and secretary, gave an update on staffing and recruiting for the police department and commission.

"As of last week when I prepared the agenda, there was about 108 candidates on the eligibility list for entry level police officer," Good said, adding that in about three weeks 30 new candidates had applied and the department removed 28 candidates during that interval. She noted there was one entry-level advanced candidate on the eligibility list at the time and that a lateral candidate had been removed by the time of the meeting. Good said the CSO continuous-testing list will be used to fill a second CSO position that is included in the 2025 budget.

Good also reported the police records specialist eligibility list had expired, but the records unit is fully staffed and the commission should not expect vacancies on that list in the near term.

Ray Mitchell, chair, asked for updates at a future meeting on the new police academy in Arlington and on police officers per capita in the state. Mitchell said, in part, that he wanted to know "how they're progressing and how large their graduating classes are in that," and raised whether the city should seek more funding to hire additional officers to bring local staffing more in line with national levels.

Brian (first name only in record), a commissioner, described work revising bylaws for the North Sound Police Foundation, which began in Lake Forest Park and now includes Mill Creek and Lake Stevens and is onboarding other jurisdictions. Brian said the foundation wanted clearer bylaws before additional agencies join; he described proposed rules on how donations would be allocated between department-specific gifts and a general fund to cover small operational needs or immediate aid such as expenses for fallen officers' families.

Commission vacancy and recruitment

Mitchell and Good said the commission has a vacancy after former commissioner Joshua moved out of state. Municipal services staff have been advertising the vacancy; Good said there were two or three applicants so far and one had withdrawn. When the mayor schedules interviews, Good said she expects the chair or Commissioner Brian to be asked to sit on the interview panel.

Ending

Commissioners asked to add updates about the Arlington academy and staffing metrics to a future agenda. No formal direction or binding vote on staffing levels, funding requests, or foundation bylaws was recorded at the meeting.