More people require more police
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, July 12th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HERMISTON – Police Chief Jason Edmiston knows that his department takes the biggest piece of the general fund pie. That’s typical of municipal budgets. He addressed the Hermiston City Council this week about the problems the current personnel shortages pose for his officers.
The council is hearing from various departments that operate from the general fund about what their current status is. Edmiston’s turn was Monday night and he said many of his officers were on hand for the presentation, which lasted for about an hour.
Edmiston said concern about livability and how it is impacted by a police staffing shortage was mentioned.
“I reminded everyone in the audience that in November of 2020, I wrote an apology to the citizens for what would become a decline in livability due to the decriminalization of controlled substances,” Edmiston stated.
He said the city’s police force is not keeping pace with the population growth in Hermiston. It is well below the FBI’s national average of 2.4 when it comes to officers per 1,000 population.
“Looking at Boardman, they’re at 2.92 officers per thousand,” Edmiston said. “Umatilla is at 2.2. Pendleton is at 1.79 and Hermiston’s at 1.5.”
He said the passage of Ballot Measure 110 and other actions taken by the state in the last few years has made it even harder to keep the peace.
“There’s a much more aggressive clientele, if you will,” he said. “More officer assaults. More officer injuries. We’re an aging department so that contributes to the factors as well. We have some challenges in front of us. My biggest concern is retention and being able to hold onto what we have.”
Edmiston said the department has and will continue to do its part to protect Hermiston, but it must also work to protect its employees from harm.
