Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department Seeks Refuge from the “Toxic” Law Enforcement Environment in Western Washington State | Columbia Basin

DAVENPORT – Lincoln County Sheriff Wade Magers is quick to welcome those who feel they have been wronged by their towns, counties and communities in the west. Magers openly expresses its desire to hire qualified candidates who are looking for an area where their services as law enforcement officials would be welcome and accepted.
Over the past eight months, Magers says he hired a King County deputy, a Seattle police officer, a Tacoma police officer, and a Washington state soldier who operated in the Tacoma area. .
âIt wasn’t that long ago that we couldn’t recruit and retain people from West Washington, we couldn’t match the pay,â Magers told iFIBER ONE News. “Now we see law enforcement moving around here saying ‘it’s time to get out of this mess’ and feel they are not being appreciated or supported.”
While the Lincoln County salary may be a fraction of what Westside law enforcement makes, Magers says moving to Lincoln County allows them to use whatever money they’ve saved on it. their wages and the profits they pocketed after selling their house. Magers says homes in western Washington are selling for an optimal price, which allows them to make up for the shortfall they would suffer by earning a salary for law enforcement in eastern Washington.
The cost of living in Lincoln County is 12% lower than the national average. The cost of living in King County is almost 60% higher than the national average and the cost of living in Pierce County is almost 19% higher than the rest of the country.