Police openings take toll

COEUR d’ALENE — The Coeur d’Alene Police Department has the most openings, 14, since Police Chief Lee White came on board in 2014.

"Before, I could fill those openings fairly quickly,” he said.

But not now.

The impact of so many unfilled police posts has been substantial, including canceled vacations, overtime and officer burnout.

“You can only work so many days of overtime before you get tired of it," he said.

But even with it being the busiest time of the year, with thousands of tourists in town, there hasn’t been a decline in police service, White said.

“I don’t think that is occurring,” he said in a phone interview with The Press. “Our officers are stepping up to the plate.”

Help is on the way.

Several job offers have been accepted and a few may start in August. White has been interviewing candidates.

But the toughest obstacle to overcome to put them on patrol soon is something White can't control: Housing costs.

White said escalating home prices and rents over the past few years were the start of the troubles with filling open positions on the force.

The median price of a single-family home in Kootenai County, about $560,000, is proving to be a primary reason candidates stay away. A .13-acre vacant lot in Coeur d’Alene recently sold for $350,000.

Kootenai County renters are paying an average of 51% of their income toward rent and nearly all shouldered rent increases in the past year, according to results of a recent survey conducted by CDA2030. The average rent for the survey respondents was $1,648 a month.

“It’s harder to make the move,” White said.

That’s why he’s hoping signing bonuses — something Coeur d'Alene police has never offered — may help.

In his proposed 2022-23 budget, White is asking for $80,000 for bonuses to help cover moving costs for new officers.

Moving is “an expensive proposition,” he said.

“They still have to feed their families,” White said. “If you can’t find a place for you and your family to call home, it’s very difficult to move them thousands of miles."

The proposed signing bonuses, which must be approved by the City Council, would mitigate moving costs and could make a difference between a candidate accepting or rejecting a job with Coeur d'Alene police.

They could get half the money before the move, and half after starting their new job.

“Signing bonuses tend to make sense,” White said.

White said there are factors other than housing keeping the number of police openings higher and making recruiting tougher.

Candidates are reluctant to get into law enforcement, he said, due to outcries in some cities against the men in blue. Those leaving military service used to move into law enforcement, but fewer do so, White said. Some are leaving the field for good, no longer wanting to be a police officer and seeking a new career path.

According to NPR news, a June 2021 survey of nearly 200 departments by the Police Executive Research Forum showed a 45% increase in the retirement rate and a nearly 20% increase in resignations in 2020-21 compared to the previous year.

But Coeur d’Alene has a reputation as a great place to live and work, White said, and is known as a community that supports police.

That's why, with 96 sworn officers, the Coeur d'Alene police force generally averages only two or three openings.

Some officers want to work “specifically” in Coeur d’Alene for its methods and culture, White said.

Entry-level police officers make from $25.58 an hour to $39.70, according to the city’s website.

White said including benefits, a starting officer's compensation can total about $90,000.

“We need to make sure the officers are being paid a livable wage to work in North Idaho,” he said.

The city is investing in its police force.

Larger line items in the current police budget are wages, $9.5 million; health insurance, $1.6 million; holiday pay, $426,350; and overtime, $528,718.

The city plans to spend $3 million to renovate the Schreiber Way police station by using American Rescue Plan Act money.

Capital purchases in the proposed 2022-23 budget from the general fund include $280,000 for police vehicles, and $81,126 for an applications analyst.

White hopes his department is back to a full staff soon, and believes bonuses would help.

“This last year has been very difficult for us,” White said.