On Dec. 18 following a budget workshop between the board of county commissioners and the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO), the Pacific County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild (PCDG) was made aware of an impending decision regarding the management of the Pacific County Jail. It is understood the Pacific County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) intends to vote in favor of moving oversight of jail operations from PCSO to the BoCC through the creation of a Pacific County Corrections Department. Although the names are similar, this would not be subordinate to or a part of the Washington State Department of Corrections. This BoCC vote WAS scheduled for DEC. 26. PCDG strongly opposes this decision due to the abrupt nature of this proposal and its presentation as a matter of course. We therefore find it necessary to speak out to inform the public of the implications of this decision and the immediate negative impacts this will have on our ability to effectively serve you, the people.

PCSO patrol deputies and corrections deputies currently work together within PCSO at the direction of the sheriff. Patrol and corrections function as two sides of the same coin, equally necessary for the purpose of keeping the peace, upholding the law, and serving the people of Pacific County. Currently, Pacific County corrections deputies are commissioned by the sheriff through their employment at PCSO, meaning they are given a specific level of law enforcement authority by the sheriff, allowing them to carry out certain law enforcement actions and related duties such as court security, transport of prisoners, augmenting patrol, and arrest powers.

If separated from PCSO, the newly created department of corrections officers would no longer have this commission from the sheriff. The requirement for the sheriff to provide these services exists regardless of who manages the jail. This means that the separation of the jail from PCSO will create an immediate burden for our already understaffed patrol division. Patrol deputies will have to immediately fill several roles (such as the aforementioned transport, court security, etc.) that our current corrections deputies serve. This will immediately result in less patrol deputies available to serve the community, respond to calls for service, and investigate reported crimes

Acting under the authority of the BoCC, corrections deputies would no longer be sheriff’s deputies but officers. Corrections officers would be relegated to authority only over those confined in the Pacific County Jail. PCSO corrections deputies currently transport inmates to and from in-person court appearances, and provide court security for Superior Court, North District and South District courts. Currently, the ability of corrections rather than patrol to satisfy these requirements greatly increases the effectiveness of the sheriff’s office.

Creating a Corrections Department would necessitate the position of jail director or superintendent be created. This position would not be an elected official, but likely a position appointed by the BOCC and not accountable to the public. It is PCDG’s belief that county government should be designed to serve the residents of the county. The officials who oversee the function of county government should be elected and accountable to the will of the people through free, fair and informed elections. The constituents of Pacific County elected a sheriff with the belief that the sheriff would oversee the operations of the county jail as has been done for many decades past. The sheriff as an elected official is directly accountable to the public for the function of their office, to include the jail. If the public disagrees with the way the sheriff’s office is operating, they can vote for another candidate or for a recall. The BoCC decision to create a corrections department would take the decision away from the people and place it under unelected bureaucrat control. This is not a decision that should be made on short notice, at an end of year budget workshop meeting. PCDG encourages you to contact the BoCC. It is the will of the people and the public that should determine the course of the county government, not the self-interest of that government.

PACIFIC COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF’S GUILD