Chehalis Police Department
The Chehalis Police Department is a full service law enforcement agency serving the roughly 2,230 households and 570 businesses within the Chehalis City Limits, as well as visitors and non-residents conducting business within the City. The Chehalis Police Department is one of only two Washington State Accredited law enforcement agencies in Lewis County.
Staffing
The department is headed by Chief Glenn Schaffer. The patrol division consists of three patrol sergeants, each supervising three patrol officers. Major felony crimes are investigated by a detective sergeant and two detectives. The School Resource Officer’s (SRO’s) “beat” is W. F. West High School and Chehalis Middle School, with time spent at the elementary schools on an as-needed basis. The detective unit handles major crimes, crime analysis, and criminal intelligence. The support staff consists of an administrative assistant to the chief supervising two records clerks. Finally, a limited commission Parking Enforcement Officer doubles as the evidence technician.
Employment
Chehalis Police officers (with the exception of the chief who serves at the pleasure of the City Manager) are civil service employees, and hiring is done from a list established by the Chehalis Civil Service Commission. Minimum qualifications for employment as a Chehalis Police officer are:
- High school diploma or GED
- At least 21 years of age at time of hiring
- Hold a valid Washington driver’s license
- Have no felony convictions
The City of Chehalis is an equal opportunity employer.
Authority
Chehalis Police officers cite infraction and misdemeanor violations of the Chehalis Municipal Code (CMC) and portions of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) which have been adopted by the City Of Chehalis directly into the Chehalis Municipal Court. Felony crimes are referred to the Lewis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for filing with the Lewis County Superior Court.
The Police Department will handle nuisance violations, such as inoperable vehicles, on publicly owned property within the City and will deal with those on private property. They also deal with Animal Control issues.
Civil Issues
Police officers in the State of Washington have general criminal authority but only very limited civil authority. Civil issues are those that involve private arrangements between citizens. Criminal issues are those that involve actions or omissions that have been defined as criminal behavior by law and may be punished by fine or imprisonment (there are a few exceptions that are punishable by fine only).
Common examples of civil issues are; landlord-tenant disputes and personal property disputes between spouses or roommates. Another very common example would be a dispute over fulfillment of private contract obligations, such as a vehicle sale or trade.
Officers cannot give legal advice on civil matters. If you are involved in a civil dispute, contact an attorney. If you do not have an attorney, Lewis County Legal Aid provides a referral service.
Labor Representation
All officers except the Chief of Police are members of the Teamsters Local 525. The office staff and Parking Control Officer form a separate bargaining unit and are also represented by the Teamsters.
The Chehalis Police Officers’ Association
Most Department employees are also members of the City of Chehalis Police Officers’ Association (CPOA), a not-for-profit corporation chartered by the Office of Washington’s Secretary of State. The CPOA maintains its own budget and undertakes charitable and benevolent work on behalf of the Department when it would not be appropriate to expend public funds or employee time. Among the CPOA’s programs are a holiday season “Shop with a Cop” event and providing Thanksgiving Dinner groceries for needy families. Other programs are under development.
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