Hermiston Police Department to add seven officers

Published 10:44 am Friday, June 14, 2024

HERMISTON — Hermiston Police Department is adding seven officers following the passage of the city’s budget for fiscal year 2024-25.

The $109.6 million total budget is about $26.3 million less than the previous fiscal year due to the completion of several large-scale capital projects, according to a press release Thursday, June 13, from the city. The general fund is $19.8 million and pays for basic city services, including the library, parks and recreation and the police department.

The budget includes funding for seven new full-time police officer positions, four of which the Good Shepherd Health Care System will fund.

The city council and staff explored options in 2024 to increase public safety and maintain service levels while working through a budget shortfall. This process included an in-depth review of each general fund department during regular council meetings to find cost-saving options.

The Hermiston Budget Committee convened in May to review the proposed budget before sending it to the city council for adoption. The city balanced the general fund budget without any loans from other departments.

“We heard from the community that public safety is a top concern, and this budget addresses that priority,” Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith said in the release. “I’m very pleased that through the public process we were able to identify ways to increase the number of officers to meet the needs of our growing city and am looking forward to the partnership with Good Shepherd.”

The four officers Good Shepherd Health Care System is funding will allow one officer each shift to be stationed at the hospital with the ability to respond to emergencies elsewhere in the city as needed. This arrangement is similar to the partnership with the Hermiston School District to provide school resource officers.

Funding for the other three officers comes from a variety of sources the city council has approved, including state and federal grants, the $5 Law Enforcement Staffing Fee on utility bills and cuts to street maintenance.

The city used a supplemental budget to hire one officer. Once the other six are on board, Hermiston will have 37 full-time police officers.

Other cost drivers in the 2024-25 budget include an approximately 16% increase to property and liability insurance rates and a 10% increase to health insurance rates for city staff, according to the press release. For more details, the 2024-25 budget and previous fiscal year budgets are available on the city’s website at www.hermiston.gov/documents. Video recordings of city council and budget committee meetings also available through the city calendar at www.hermiston.gov/calendar.