Police Chief Cole Langdon told the Lynnwood City Council on Monday that the police department is operating with significant vacancies and one-time funding that will not sustain staffing past 2026, increasing pressure on patrol, jail operations and records-handling.

Langdon said the department’s approved staffing in 2025 was 128 positions—about 81 commissioned officers and 49 noncommissioned/civilian positions—but the force is well below allocation. “Sustainable is gonna be a word you hear us talk about quite a bit,” Langdon said, describing a mix of ARPA and Department of Justice grant funding that covered 10 officer positions and a traffic-safety impact fee (photo enforcement) intended to offset traffic-unit costs. He told council litigation over that fee leaves the department uncertain about future revenue.

Why it matters: Langdon described long lead times to replace commissioned officers—roughly a year to 18 months counting background, a five‑month academy, post‑academy training and patrol field training—and said recent losses will take many months to recover. He warned reduced patrol and specialty staffing is increasing calls-per-officer, response times and overtime burdens, and impairing records and disclosure functions that are legally time‑sensitive.

Key facts and figures
- Approved department staffing (2025): 128 positions (81 commissioned, 49 noncommissioned).
- Commissioned officers filled on Jan. 1, 2025: about 73; recent departures reduced available officers to the low‑70s and below funding thresholds.
- Vacancy-savings in the adopted budget: approximately $2,540,000 (described by Langdon as covering the equivalent of about eight unfunded officer positions).
- Photo enforcement contract (added to police budget): ~ $1,100,000 over the biennium.
- Traffic-safety impact fee cash moved to general fund (from Fund 105): about $924,000 (Langdon said this was brought into general fund to close budget gaps).
- Sound Transit interlocal agreement (ILA): $355,000 per year to support a small transit unit of bicycle officers.
- Jail staffing: 28 authorized corrections positions (Langdon said 28 is the authorized count for full operation); he reported the jail currently staffed at roughly 21 corrections officers and an average daily population around 40–50 inmates.
- Records technicians: four doing the work of six; one additional clerk on long‑term medical leave.
- Lateral signing bonus: $25,000; entry-level signing bonus: $10,000 (recruit incentives described in Q&A).

What Langdon said
Langdon said the department is holding some civilian positions vacant, temporarily reduced front‑counter hours to allow records staff to process legally mandated public‑disclosure requests and is deferring vehicle replacement (extending patrol car service cycles from four to six years) to realize short‑term savings. He described efforts to create a small Sound Transit transit unit (two bicycle‑mounted officers) funded by the ILA and to preserve specialty units—traffic reconstruction, narcotics and canine—at reduced levels. He warned that ongoing vacancy-driven “minimum staffing” conditions require level‑2 dispatch limitations at times (responding only to priority in‑progress calls).

Council discussion and concerns
Council members pressed on the unusual use of a vacancy‑savings reduction in the budget and on whether the department’s operating baseline (Langdon described 81 commissioned officers as a sustainable target) is being undercut by a budget practice that assumes persistent vacancies. Council member Hirsch and others sought specifics about overtime, officer wellness and replacement timelines; Langdon described a multi‑agency regional academy shortage that lengthens recruitment, and said two departures in August will take roughly 18 months to replace. Council member Decker urged the council not to underfund public safety following a national news‑highlighted mass casualty incident earlier that week, saying rapid police response had saved lives in that case.

Distinguishing actions vs. discussion
Langdon’s presentation was an informational briefing and not a formal request for immediate action; he described contingency steps already taken (holding positions vacant, shifting an administrative position to confidential status, deferring equipment purchases). Council members asked for follow‑up detail on Fund 105 (traffic/criminal-justice-related funds), the traffic‑safety fee litigation, and which discrete programs would be cut if funding remained constrained.

Outlook and next steps
Langdon asked for continued council attention to mid‑biennium budget choices and noted the department will return with refinements. He said progress on the traffic‑safety fee litigation in the coming weeks should clarify whether the $924,000 can continue to support traffic staffing. He also reiterated the long lead time to rebuild commissioned staffing and the operational tradeoffs of relying on one‑time funds and vacancy reductions.

Ending note
Council thanked the chief and took a brief recess; councilmembers indicated they would continue budget deliberations during the mid‑biennium adjustment process.