Chehalis City Council members Bob Spahr, Dennis Dawes and Daryl Lund listen Monday to Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer outline the need for additional resources in his department.
Over time, the duo of records technicians at the Chehalis Police Department have found their jobs laden with more and more tasks, resulting in the Chehalis City Council approving some changes to multiple administrative positions within the department.
Specifically, council members voted unanimously Monday to increase the salary of the two current technicians, create two new positions and eliminate one old position.
Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said the technicians are now tasked with keeping up with new standards for data entry, issuing certain licenses and permits, processing public records requests and a long list of similar tasks. The job has gradually taken on more responsibility over the last 10 to 15 years, he said.
When July 1 rolls around, Schaffer said, they’ll additionally be responsible for running an influx in background checks for gun licenses as new gun laws take effect. Had such laws been in effect in 2017, Schaffer said the department would have had to run 119 background checks rather than the 33 they actually did that year.
That’s a result of new state standards that don’t allow gun store owners to do quick background checks on people who have concealed-carry licenses, instead requiring the police department to run a check for every purchase. Initiative 1639, the sweeping gun control measure that redefines semi-automatic rifle to now include a wide swath of weapons, will also put increased strain on records technicians. However, Schaffer said, it’s largely uncertain how much more work I-1639 is going to generate.
Council members voted Monday to increase the pay of the two technicians, at a combined cost of approximately $9,200 per year.
The council, at the behest of Schaffer, also eliminated an open position that combines parking officer duties and evidence technician duties. Schaffer said the position was an anomaly that combines very different duties that don’t overlap.
They instead moved to create a position that will combine the duties of a records and evidence technician, and a part-time job as a downtown parking enforcement officer.
