Spokane Valley City Council to determine assignments for deputies joining city’s police force

Some of the deputies hired to fill 10 newly created positions at the Spokane Valley Police Department will be ready to hit the streets in the coming months, but the Spokane Valley City Council will first need to define just what those positions will entail.

The council will discuss assignments for those deputies at its first 2025 meeting Tuesday, nearly a year after the positions were approved.

To the casual observer, the Spokane Valley Police Department appears to be its own independent force. The uniforms and vehicles are emblazoned with “Spokane Valley,” and the department has its own police chief in Dave Ellis.

But Ellis, and the rest of the city’s police force, are employees of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. Spokane Valley has contracted with the county for police services since its incorporation as a city nearly 22 years ago, with the latest five-year contract renewal in effect until 2027.

In 2023, the city hired Matrix Consulting Group for $84,900 to review the efficacy of the city’s police services. In their eventual report, the consultant group recommended adding 25 deputies to the Valley’s dedicated force, three deputies to the force splitting time with the county and the city and at least two civilian positions to handle administrative work.

The council approved adding 10 deputies and a civilian to the department as part of the first phase of satisfying the consultant’s recommendations in a February 2024 meeting, bringing the Valley’s total of dedicated officers to 101. The positions are expected to cost nearly $2.5 million, according to city records.

At least three of the deputy positions have been filled, with the first deputy set to complete training in February, according to city records. Tuesday’s action will have the council dictate what responsibilities the deputies will have when they join the force full time.

Based on discussions between Sheriff John Nowels, Ellis, the council members who are part of the board’s Public Safety Committee as well as the consultant’s report, city staff members are recommending the council dedicate five positions to the patrol staff: four for patrol deputies, and one for a supervising lieutenant.

Three of the positions could be dedicated to the department’s investigative unit, two as detectives and one as a sergeant, the staff recommended in the meeting’s agenda.

The remaining two positions would be for another deputy focused on traffic infractions and another homeless services outreach deputy.

The council will make its decision as to how the positions will be assigned at its regularly scheduled meeting 6 p.m. Tuesday at Spokane Valley City Hall.