The Town of Twisp is offering more money to get a police chief, upping its salary range to between 80-thousand eighty dollars and 98-thousand 760 dollars, along with a ten-thousand dollar relocation stipend, in hopes that increasing the salary will entice someone to take the job.
The Methow Valley News reports the Twisp Police Department has no officers right now, and the town has had to contract with the Okanogan County sheriff's Office for interim police coverage until the town can rebuild its police force.
Okanogan County Sheriff Paul Budrow – who was Twisp's last police chief until he was elected as sheriff – assured the town council at its last meeting that his office will provide as much attention to Twisp as possible and respond to calls, given its own staffing shortages and attempts to fill vacancies.
The town council approved the contract with the Sheriff's office earlier this month, that contract is in effect through the end of this year, it calls for the town to pay the county 500 dollars per call response. If the town wants deputies for other assignments such as parades, it will pay them separately at overtime rates. Twisp Mayor Soo Ing-Moody estimates the contract will cost the town roughly 16-thousand dollars a month.
The town and Okanogan County Sheriff's Office are asking Twisp residents to call 9-1-1 only in a real emergency, and don't call the sheriff directly as he won't be able to respond. If it's not a real emergency, call the sheriff's office at 509-422-7200.
There's more on this story at methowvalleynews.com.
