BONNERS FERRY — Weeks after the Bonners Ferry Police Department announced it was providing 24/7 service, the City Council unanimously approved the only new item on its Jan. 21 agenda: a 75-cent-per-hour pay increase for police officers who work the entirety of a graveyard shift from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. 

The motion passed with little discussion. If one police officer is on the clock during that time, the officer would receive an extra $9 per shift. Over a 365-day year, that would total $3,285. 

The extra pay, known as a shift differential, goes into effect Feb. 1. Differential pay is common among police departments. 

One member of the public spoke in favor of the pay increase at the council meeting but said they would have preferred a higher amount, such as an additional $1 per hour. 

This is the first time differential pay has been implemented in the Bonners Ferry Police Department, according to Police Chief Willie Cowell. 

"Differential pay is a common thing among law enforcement agencies nationwide. It has never been implemented here in Bonners Ferry and it is an incentive for guys to work the graveyard," Cowell said. "You'll oftentimes, especially in a small department like this, be stretched thin for people willing to work that graveyard shift." 

"It not only is an incentive, but it also helps with officer retention," Cowell said. "They are less apt to jump ship and go elsewhere where these incentives are offered. We're eight strong right now, full staff and I would like to keep it that way. It also helps morale quite a bit." 

The differential pay is being funded through the police department’s budget. 

"We waited until the first quarter to see where we stood with our budget," Cowell said. "We are well within it." 

When asked whether the differential pay amount could increase in the future, Cowell said it was too early to determine. 

"It's something I hope for, yes," Cowell said. "But is it something that we will be able to achieve? It's too early. We're too much in the infancy stages to be able to determine that. I thought 75 cents was a good starting point. It's actually a little more than most departments offer." 

In 2024, around $497,000 of the city’s budget was used to pay its police officers, according to city budget documents.