Federal Way is adding 13 new positions for police officers, raising the number of officers for the city to 150—the most in the city’s 32-year history.

The increase is in response to Federal Way’s growing population (101,030 in 2020) and the volume of calls from the public for police help. Six of the new officers will be assigned to patrol duty. The rest will be divided among traffic duty and specialized policing, such as gang suppression and drug investigations.

Mayor Jim Ferrell said the city is “providing the resources needed to keep our residents safe and to deter crime.”