PPD gets a new contract

By Terry Murry on Thursday, June 23rd, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories

PENDLETON – The 2022-23 fiscal year budget will see the Pendleton Police Department getting five percent salary increases. Mayor John Turner said it’s vital to make sure law officers know they are valued.

“We’re trying to make sure our police officers have an attractive salary so that we can keep our ranks full,” Turner said. “This year’s budget was approved to add two more positions to the police department.”

Turner said while hiring new officers is important, it’s even more important to keep the ones currently on staff satisfied.

“Right now, if you take somebody in off the street and recruit them to be a police officer you’ve got to send them to the academy, then they’ve got to come back under training before you can put them out on the street,” Turner said. “That’s almost a one-year process.”