East Wenatchee Police Can Add Officers With Sales Tax Related Grant Approval
The East Wenatchee Wenatchee Police Department (EWPD) will be able to restore recent staffing cuts with the final approval of sales tax capture and grant funding from two state agencies
Police Chief Rick Johnson announced in a news release on Wednesday that $1.124 million in Public Safety Grant Funding has been approved by the state Department of Revenue (DOR) and the Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission (WCJTC)
The grant will fund the hiring, training and equipment for 3 entry-level officers, strengthening EWPD’s ability to proactively serve the growing area. The new hires will return staffing to the 2024 level of 23 officers. The department currently has 20 officers.
Johnson says the 47 page application and approval process took over six months to complete and his agency is now among only 8 departments to receive approval.
EWPD qualified for the grant after the City Council approved a one tenth of one percent public safety sales tax increase last summer through the Public Safety Funding Program – ESHB 2015. . The councilmatic tax increase went into effect January 1st but the sales tax capture and grant funding were pending the DOR and WCJTC approvals
Another grant of $5646.69 from Washington State Sheriffs & Police Chiefs will be used to equip three patrol vehicles with cardiac emergency defibrillators. Johnson hopes to eventually provide the life-saving devices in all patrol vehicles.
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