Ephrata PD achieves full staffing on paper, officers still being trained
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 5 days, 23 hours AGO
Ephrata Police Department Chief Erik Koch, right, welcomes EPD’s newest officer Romen Hernandez, left, after he graduated from the Criminal Justice Training Commission's Basic Law Enforcement Academy. Hernandez now has to complete several months of field training before he can independently patrol.
COURTESY PHOTO/EPHRATA POLICE DEPARTMENT
EPHRATA — The Ephrata Police Department Chief Erik Koch announced that the department is officially recognized as fully staffed, although he emphasized that this achievement comes with a caveat.
"We've got three new officers on the books, but they still need extensive training before they can operate independently," Koch said.
Currently, the department employs 16 officers, with four new recruits hired this year to fill vacancies. Of those, one was a lateral officer who only required field training.
The road to full staffing has not been simple.
"We've had some personnel changes, including two officers leaving for other employment and one retirement," Koch said.
The department has faced the ripple effects of being short-staffed, including the inability to fill a key detective position.
"Right now, we’re down to one officer and a supervisor on one of our shifts. This means we have to adjust officers’ schedules frequently to cover peak call times," he said.
The process of bringing new staff up to speed is lengthy. New recruits typically undergo several months of training at the Basic Law Enforcement Academy, followed by field training with seasoned officers.
"It takes roughly eight months to a year before new officers are fully productive," Koch said.
Currently, one new officer has recently graduated from the academy and will begin field training next week, while another is still in the academy and is expected to complete his training in a few months. They have a third officer hired who will begin the academy in February 2026.
Despite the challenges associated with training, Koch expressed optimism.
"Once our staff is fully trained and operational, we'll have the bandwidth to address crime hotspots more effectively and enhance traffic safety initiatives," he said.
The department is exploring software to analyze crime patterns, enabling focused patrol strategies.
Koch reminded the community to be patient as the department transitions to full operational capacity.
"While we are fully staffed on paper, it’s important to recognize that we’re still navigating the training phase. We're not going to be fully operational until about this time next year," he said.