Spokane Valley Police report net gain of 22 officers over 12 months; department says nearly fully staffed

Spokane Valley Police Chief Davells updated council on recruiting and retention efforts during the March 11 meeting, saying the department hired 45 officers in the previous 12 months — 26 lateral hires and 19 entry-level recruits — while recording 23 separations (retirements, relocations, training non-completions and career changes). That produced a net gain of 22 officers and left the county and department with only three remaining vacancies that department leaders expected to fill in the coming month.

The chief framed the hiring results as the most hires in a 12-month period in agency history and credited council support for new positions and an internal recruiting overhaul that included a hiring coordinator converted from an existing deputy allocation, expanded recruiting capacity, filled background-investigator positions and a streamlined civil-service process. The department stressed it will continue recruiting until all authorized positions are filled and that a second phase of hiring will be needed if council authorizes additional positions identified in a staffing study.

Councilmembers praised the hiring success and reiterated that additional positions approved in future budget cycles would be necessary to meet long-term staffing goals. The chief said separations were about half retirements and half other reasons, and that retirements should slow over time as the agency’s workforce becomes younger with the recent hires.