Corrections Retention Bonus RequestLewis County Sheriff’s Office Mission Statement:
Being a committed community partner, providing professional service to enhance the safety, security, and quality of life in Lewis County.
OFFICE OF THE LEWIS COUNTY
345 W. Main Street
Chehalis, WA 98532-1900
Phone: (360) 748-9286 • Fax: (360) 740-1476 • TDD: (360) 740-1480
www.lewiscountywa.gov/sheriff
Corrections Bureau Retention Bonus Request
The LCSO Administration is asking the County to approve the following retention incentives for our Corrections
Bureau staff.
Background:
In 2022, the Corrections Deputy Guild and the Corrections Sergeant/Lieutenant Teamsters Union ratified
contract bargaining agreements specifically addressing salaries and benefits. Unfortunately, since 2022, there
have been many unforeseen negative impacts within the law enforcement/corrections career field in
Washington State. The LCSO Correction Bureau is currently sitting at 11 full-time employee vacancies. Due to
the current vacancy situation, overtime hours have been extremely high while maintaining mandated
requirements for keeping the jail operational 24/7. The 2024 overtime usage is currently at 10,312.75 hours as
of November 1, 2024.
Our corrections deputies and sergeants are experiencing burnout, and we are beginning to see corrections
deputies leaving this agency to other higher salary paying facilities. The corrections deputies and sergeants
have been asking for additional benefits to lessen the impacts of working long hours caused by covering
vacancies, and the increased workload these vacancies have impacted on their daily duties. Hiring and
recruitment has been difficult due to higher salaries and benefits being paid in neighboring comparable
facilities, along with hiring bonuses being offered.
LCSO administration and Lewis County Human Resources have completed a salary study with comparable
counties (see attached document). The 2025 comparisons indicate Lewis County will be on average
$1,309.70 per month behind our comparable agencies.
Temporary Retention/Salary Increase Request:
The Lewis County Sheriff’s Office recognizes the current financial situation Lewis County is experiencing with
the inability to increase monthly salaries under current CBAs. With this in mind, we request the following
temporary retention incentives until the new CBAs are ratified for January 2026:
• A $1,000.00 per quarter retention bonus for eligible corrections deputies and sergeants with two or
more years of employment with LCSO.
Impacts:
The LCSO Jail will soon be in an operational dilemma if we were to lose additional FTE positions. The safety
and security of the entire facility is our primary concern. As a result, the jail may need to enact a temporary
booking restriction protocol to reduce inmate population in an effort to create a safer and more manageable
operating level for our depleted staff. The LCSO administration believes this retention incentive will mitigate
losing tenured employees to surrounding agencies. LCSO staff continues to recruit and hire new employees to
meet our staffing goals during these challenging times. On behalf of the Sheriff’s Office administration and
corrections employees, we appreciate your consideration in this matter.
Kevin M.
Engelbertson
Undersheriff
Rick B. Van Wyck
Field Operations Chief
Chris J. Sweet
Corrections Chief
Gabriel J. Frase
Special Services Chief
Robert R. Snaza
Sheriff “Public Safety through Professional Service”