SOUTH BEND — Renovation work limiting who the Pacific County Jail is willing to accept is underway after months of delays.

Workers from Kirkland-based Cornerstone Construction Services began the $1 million project last week. Authorized in March, the project includes enhancements of doors, padlocks and overall security. The aging facility behind the courthouse has acknowledged physical flaws the work is meant to help address.

Pull Quote

‘It is incredibly frustrating that this project has taken so long to commence since it was planned to have been completed prior to Labor Day.’

Lisa Olsen, county commission chairwoman

Anyone who keeps an eye on the online jail roster — co.pacific.wa.us/sheriff/corrections — sees a daily count often in the range of around 11-12 inmates. On Nov. 5, the inmate population was 15. The jail is intended to hold about 39 inmates and can be expanded to just over 70 if necessary.

Frustrated officers

The jail routinely declining to accept arrestees, including those with multiple warrants, has been a source of frustration for front-line law enforcement in a county where property crimes and drug/alcohol offenses are common.

For example, on Oct. 14, the Long Beach Police Department arrested a man on a felony warrant from the Washington Department of Corrections. The responding officer asked the jail to take him, but the request was denied.

Long Beach Chief Flint Wright contacted the jail and was told intakes were being denied due to ongoing construction. As a result, an officer was taken off patrol for several hours to transport the man to the Grays Harbor County Jail. However, over the weekend of Oct. 25-27, Wright spoke with Sheriff Daniel Garcia and was informed that the work was being further delayed. Cornerstone was still working a higher priority job in Kittitas County.

On Oct. 28, it took two tries before the jail accepted a Long Beach arrestee with 13 outstanding warrants. Another suspect with felony warrants was cut loose by officers after 911 dispatch informed them, “jail advises no.”

Light at the end of the tunnel

Law enforcement agencies have been informed that jail bookings will continue to be scarce for the coming weeks while work is completed.

According to Pacific County Commission Chair Lisa Olsen, her fellow commissioner Jerry Doyle called Cornerstone directly a few weeks back. He sought to answer why the jail project was being delayed — and learned the Kittitas job was holding them up.

County officials are unhappy about the project taking so long. It has to be completed by Dec. 31, which means the company only has about eight weeks, including year-end holidays, to complete all the work to meet the deadline.

“It is incredibly frustrating that this project has taken so long to commence since it was planned to have been completed prior to Labor Day,” Olsen said.