As the city grows, Post Falls Police are struggling with staffing shortages

POST FALLS – As the city’s population grows, the Post Falls Police Department is grappling with a severe staffing shortage that is forcing officers to work grueling 12-hour shifts with no overlap.

Officer Ryan Dalke, who juggles multiple roles within the department, has seen the strain firsthand. “Things have been going downhill over the last few years,” he said. “Six months ago, we had fewer employees than when I was hired in 2018. With the city growing, it was a shrinking department. Our calls for service were increasing, but we have fewer people to handle them.”

At its lowest point, the department was short 13 officers – about 30% of the sworn workforce. In response, the Post Falls City Council approved hourly wage increases of up to $6 in December 2023, bringing the starting salary to $30.60 per hour.

Despite these efforts, problems persist. Police Chief Greg McLean said, “There is no quick fix. It’s basically go to work, go to bed, go to work, go to bed.”

The city’s population has grown from 33,000 in 2019 to 47,191 this year. McLean wants to increase the force to 62 sworn officers to keep up with the growth, but training new recruits takes up to a year, putting additional strain on the department’s resources.

The staffing crisis has forced the department to disband specialty units and cut back on certain services. “The burnout is real,” Dalke admitted. “I’m trying to train a new officer while also being a supervisor and having to fulfill all these other responsibilities.”

Other challenges include competition from neighboring jurisdictions and Idaho’s strict marijuana use regulations for prospective officers. Idaho law requires that recruits must not have used marijuana in the past year.

The Post Falls Police Department’s current budget is $7,428,163.10. McLean isn’t sure what his ideal budget would look like as the population continues to rise, but variables like salary and staff increases, as well as outfitting new officers with vehicles and equipment, must be considered.

Although the recent new hire has brought some relief to the officers on duty, Dalke pointed out that the problem has not yet been completely solved.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s only about a year away,” he said.

Population growth by Falls:

2019: 33,000
2020: 38,500
2021: 39,452
2022: 45,850
2023: 47,000
2024: currently 47,191

Calls to Post Falls Police:

2019: 34,431
2020: 33,913
2021: 36,742
2022: 34,992
2023: 35,348
2024: currently 18,031

Numbers courtesy of Post Falls Police Department.

Post Falls Police Sergeant Ryan Dalke tests the lights on his police vehicle. The department’s staffing levels relative to Post Falls’ growing population have been a problem in recent years, with the lowest staffing levels reached six months ago.

Sergeant Ryan Dalke checks the equipment in his police vehicle at the Post Falls Police Department on Thursday.