From the Sheriff’s Desk: Washington ranks lowest for officers per capita

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, October 15, 2025

By Brian King

Washington remains at the bottom of the nation — 51st in the U.S. — for police officers per capita, despite a slight uptick in staffing last year, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs’ (WASPC) Crime in Washington report.

Statewide, agencies added 292 commissioned officers in 2024, lifting the rate from 1.34 to 1.36 officers per 1,000 residents. But that small improvement hasn’t shifted Washington from its longstanding position as the least-staffed state, an embarrassing ranking it has held for at least 15 years.

Chronically thin staffing leads to tired officers and deputies, running from call to call by themselves. This is the worst possible outcome for wellness, for victims, and for de‑escalation.

WASPC estimates that bringing Washington’s staffing to the national average, or roughly 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents, would require about $1 billion annually. To reach the highest staffing levels in the nation, the state would need to add nearly 30,589 officers and spend close to $5 billion per year.

We at the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office sit at .82 commissioned (full police authority) officers per 1,000 residents.

Couple this with the challenges of policing a geographically challenging county, where the West End has far more square miles to police, resources must be disproportionately assigned based on population and calls for service in order to overcome the geography variable and maintain an adequate balance in meeting reasonable response times.

There is no magic formula here, only sound decision making to meet the needs of the residents.

I urge the residents of Clallam County who value community safety and safe neighborhoods to contact your state legislators and let them know what you value most. Law Enforcement needs your support!