Garfield to re-start own department:

The policing agreement between Garfield and Palouse will end March 15 after 11 years.

The two towns, which have renewed the agreement twice, were in the process of another renewal when the outlook changed.

Garfield will now hire an officer to re-start their own police department.

“There were some less than desirable elements in town that we felt needed more attention than they were currently being given,” said Jarrod Pfaff, Garfield mayor.

The initial friction began last summer.

The Palouse department dropped down to two officers in June – after hiring a third earlier in 2019, who did not work...