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Police chief outlines staffing shortage; new recruit in training and lateral hire expected
Summary
Chief Cole Cournyer told the council the department lacks full 24-hour coverage, introduced local recruit Officer Jessica Stevens (in training for about three months), and said a lateral hire from Lakewood will join full time; retired Officer Gutierrez is assisting interim coverage.
Chief Cole Cournyer reported to the council that the department is short-staffed and cannot guarantee full 24-hour coverage. He introduced local recruit Officer Jessica Stevens, who "is in a training session at this time for an approximation of three months," and said a lateral officer from Lakewood will come on board full time and reside locally. Retired Officer Gutierrez has returned on an interim basis to help provide services.
The chief and Mayor Randall Sasser discussed patrol funding and the cost comparison for Lewis County or the sheriff to provide coverage for downtime. The minutes note that even at full staffing the department remains short of full 24-hour coverage and that finding reserves is difficult given on-call time and wage competition from nearby cities.
