Airway Heights Police Department wants levy increase to add more staff

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. -- Voters in Airway Heights will soon decide whether or not to increase taxes for a public safety levy.

The levy will be on the August ballot and would ask homeowners to pay around $25 per month to strengthen the Airway Heights police department and improve public safety.

"The investment is not something that I wouldn't ask of myself," said Brad Richmond, Airway Heights Police Chief.

According to the City of Airway Heights, this is the first funding request for the police department in the history of the city.

Over the last five years, calls for help have increased significantly, over 133 percent, while the size of the department has remained the same.

There are 25 patrol officers, but AHPD said they need at least four more to keep up with demand. Each officer and patrol car cost about $200,000.

"We can't respond to their needs, specifically when they're victims of vehicle prowls and thefts and some of the burglaries, as a result of having to go to priority one and two violent crime calls," said Chief Richmond.

According to AHPD, a major motivation for the levy is to help curb the city's fentanyl crisis.

"We're losing children and family members to the addiction of fentanyl and to the overdoses. We have overdoses that we deal with every day on our streets," said Chief Richmond.

The department wants more officers to track down where the lethal fentanyl is coming from.

Some Airway Heights residents are concerned about the potential additional taxes, especially as many family's are already struggling to get by.

Overall, the levy would cost taxpayers around $8.3 million over the next six years.

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