November 20, 2025 8:04 am
Clark County, Government, News, Public Safety 
Sgt. Chris Nicholls of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, left, pauses to talk with Deputy Holden Chapman while on patrol Nov. 7. Some agencies have seen a decline in applicants for open positions since the pandemic and are trying new strategies to recruit and retain officers. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
Clark County sheriff’s Deputy Charlie Harris, left, talks with colleague Sgt. Chris Nicholls while on a call Nov. 7.
Handcuffs hang in a Clark County Sheriff’s Office patrol car. This year, the agency hired 23 deputies, but 11 vacancies remain.
Members of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office gather at the west precinct for a briefing before the sun rises on Nov. 7. A survey by the International Association of Chiefs of Police found agencies have had a harder time recruiting since the COVID-19 pandemic. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has stepped up recruiting efforts. The agency offers hiring bonuses and added a full-time recruiter to the staff. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
Clark County sheriff’s deputies respond to a call Nov. 7. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)
Graduates of the Academy Class 922 stand during their commencement ceremony at the Southwest Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission on Nov. 5. (Photo contributed by Vancouver Police Department)
When Christopher Douville started his law enforcement career in the mid-2000s in Spokane, hundreds of men and women lined up to take their police entrance test. About 400 people would compete for four to six openings, he said.
“There was a lot of interest in the job back then. There still is, but it’s not the same as it was 20 years ago,” Douville said.
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