Spokane County sheriff tells Spokane Valley council state mandates, training and tech drove contract cost increases

Sheriff John Knowles outlined to the Spokane Valley City Council on March 17 the principal factors behind recent increases in the county’s contract costs to provide the Spokane Valley Police Department. Knowles and Commissioner Mary Brooks said state mandates on training, expanded staffing needs, wage increases determined through binding arbitration and investments in technology have pushed the county’s law enforcement budget up substantially since 2019.

Knowles told the council the sheriff’s office has added more than 40 commissioned positions and roughly 14.5 civilian positions across county and contract cities in the past seven years to meet patrol, traffic, investigative and supervisory needs. He said training requirements—both state‑mandated in‑service hours and updates to model use‑of‑force/de‑escalation policies—have led to dramatic…