Lynnwood police tell council staffing shortfalls and vacancy-savings threaten services

Police Chief Cole Langdon told the Lynnwood City Council on Monday that the police department is operating with significant vacancies and one-time funding that will not sustain staffing past 2026, increasing pressure on patrol, jail operations and records-handling.

Langdon said the department’s approved staffing in 2025 was 128 positions—about 81 commissioned officers and 49 noncommissioned/civilian positions—but the force is well below allocation. “Sustainable is gonna be a word you hear us talk about quite a bit,” Langdon said, describing a mix of ARPA and Department of Justice grant funding that covered 10 officer positions and a traffic-safety impact fee (photo enforcement) intended to offset traffic-unit costs. He told council litigation over that fee leaves the department uncertain about future revenue.

Why it matters: Langdon described long lead times to replace commissioned officers—roughly a year to 18 months counting background, a five‑month academy, post‑academy training and patrol field training—and said recent losses will take many months to recover. He warned reduced patrol and specialty staffing is increasing calls-per-officer, response times and overtime burdens, and impairing records and disclosure functions that are legally time‑sensitive.

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