Centralia Council endorses 1.67 officers per 1,000 residents for comp plan

Centralia’s City Council voted May 13 to include a staffing-level target of 1.67 commissioned officers per 1,000 residents in the city’s comprehensive plan, a middle option officials said strikes a balance between proactive policing and fiscal limits.

Chief Andy Caldwell explained the three options presented at a prior workshop and again at the council meeting: the current level of 1.57 officers per 1,000, a proposed mid-level of 1.67 (the department’s pre‑COVID number), and the 2018 plan’s 1.78 per 1,000. Caldwell said the 1.67 figure came from workload modeling and a staffing approach that keeps patrol time below the International City/County Management Association’s recommended threshold: "The 2 additional officers put us below that rule of sixties," he said, referring to ICMA guidance that no more than 60% of patrol time should be taken by calls for service (SEG 1850–1860, SEG 1872–1876).

Councilors discussed the policy and budget tradeoffs. One councilor said the middle option keeps the city striving for stronger public safety while acknowledging fiscal constraints and recommended 1.67 as realistic given the upcoming budget season. Another councilor endorsed the idea of exploring mid‑level noncommissioned positions to handle non-suspect property crimes and routine reports so commissioned officers can focus on proactive work.

A motion to adopt option 2 (1.67 officers per 1,000) was made and seconded; the council recorded a unanimous vote in favor (passes 7–0). The staffing target will be incorporated into the draft comprehensive plan for later formal adoption of the full plan.

What’s next: The target will appear in the comprehensive plan and return to council later as part of the larger plan adoption process. Any budgetary changes required to staff toward that level would be decided in subsequent budget cycles.