The Pacific County Courthouse Annex is the venue for most meetings relating to county administration.

SOUTH BEND — With two days left in the year, Pacific County Sheriff Daniel Garcia and his administration met with the county on Dec. 30 to transition jail management. The 40-minute meeting saw little progress but did involve a vow from the sheriff’s office for a smooth transition.

The Pacific County Board of County Commissioners’ decision on Dec. 26, 2024, to sever the Pacific County jail from the sheriff’s office was made with only five days left in the year and with little warning to the sheriff’s office — which Garcia calls a “hostile takeover.”

The meeting was tense. Garcia offered to help make the transition smooth, which he “did not get” when he took over as sheriff.

“My anger at the situation doesn’t have anything to do with you, nor have I said anything to the effect,” Garcia said to the jail’s new director before offering to take him up to the jail for a tour following the meeting.

New director introduced

Pacific County Jail Services Director Jim Byrd formally introduced himself and gave a rundown of his background at the meeting. Before coming to the county, Byrd spent 20 years in the Army, including a tour in Iraq. He then spent the last 17 years with the Grays Harbor County Jail, where he retired as a lieutenant on Sept. 30, 2024.

Pull Quote

‘I do not intend to undo anything. My whole intent going forward is making it a better place. I am a firm believer in the circle of justice, and the jail is a very integral part of the circle of justice.’

Jim Byrd, Pacific County

Jail Services director

“During that time, I rose from corrections officer to corrections sergeant to corrections lieutenant,” Byrd said. “I was [promoted] to sergeant in 2011 and promoted to lieutenant in 2015. While serving in Grays Harbor County, I had an officer-involved shooting. I was awarded a lifesaving medal, and I was also honored to be the Officer of the Year in 2012.”

According to Byrd, when he retired in September, it was his full intent to stay retired, and he was living the “Life of Riley” — hunting, fishing, golfing, and enjoying Las Vegas for his 60th birthday with his wife. All this was before the county approached him with a request to come in and take over the jail.

“When citizens of the county that I live in and grew up in and the leadership of that same county ask me to do something because they feel I’m the guy to do it,” Byrd said. “I’ve got too much of a service heart to say no.”

“That’s because you live a life of service,” Undersheriff Mike Parker interjected.

“That’s all I’ve known since I’ve been an adult. It is to serve,” Byrd said while also noting, “Sheriff, I believe we are a lot alike; I really do.”

Byrd has been a well-respected corrections officer throughout his career, and many in the local communities speak highly of him, including law enforcement officers. Among his many accolades of his career, he became a certified instructor for Blue Courage.

Blue Courage is a 16-hour program developed to help officers remember why they serve. Officers often see the worst of humanity and are at risk of becoming “cynical.” The program helps them keep their minds and hearts aligned with why they chose to serve communities.

Byrd plans to come in with his eyes and ears wide open and observe and adjust things as needed to help the jail run more efficiently. One big question has been whether or not he would come in and institute immediate changes and undue advancements that have been made.

Byrd will make $10,572 a month, which equates to $126,864 annually.

“I do not intend to undo anything,” Byrd said. “My whole intent going forward is making it a better place. I am a firm believer in the circle of justice, and the jail is a very integral part of the circle of justice.”

“But it is only one piece of it, and all the pieces working together is what makes it successful, and all I want is for my staff and myself to do our part to make that circle of justice work. I and everyone involved,” Byrd added.

“Thank you, and I believe that we are brother-in-arms and also brothers-in-the-law,” Garcia replied. “With that, you have my respect.”

Sheriff predicted issues

Garcia predicted during several of his town halls between Dec. 21 and 23, 2024, that the separation would involve many nuances. His predictions have come true, and now the county is scrambling to clean up the mess.

The severing of power has removed a traditional extension of limited peace officer commission to corrections officers, which allowed them to provide courtroom security, take individuals into custody, and provide armed transports of inmates.

Garcia has offered to extend limited commission to the corrections officers under one condition, which he says other sheriffs in similar situations do not do.

“If I am going to supply a commission,” Garcia said. “I want oversight of their training and a say on it of approval because we have raised their training since we took office to include their firearms.”

“So, they are all currently qualified. We just finished our final rounds of shooting, and we have taken them from an unacceptable level when I took office to now; they are all passing and on par with patrol, which was a great undertaking over two years.”

Garcia noted that his stance was not vindictive and was based on the liability against his public official bond should something happen. If he offered a commission, Garcia could be held liable for any of the corrections officers’ actions, including a shooting, use of force, or if they accidentally “trample” on someone’s rights.

“Again, if we are unwilling to do that…I am unwilling to supply commission,” Garcia said. “Then also policy because we have worked really hard to educate everybody in this office of what the constitution is and what everybody’s rights are.”

“Oftentimes I believe that gets overlooked in the nitty-gritty of executing the law, and oftentimes officers find themselves in a crappy place because they trampled on a right, and that’s what provides citizens an opportunity to draw a lawsuit,” Garcia added.

Byrd rejected the offer and believes he can obtain commission certification for his agency from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

“I can tell you right now I do not want to split authority,” Byrd said. “I don’t need staff answering to two different bosses; that is what I think that would be, and I understand your position, sheriff; believe me, I do.”

“That is a lot of liability. That is one of the things we were trying to mitigate,” Byrd added.

In the meantime, sheriff steps up

Garcia and Undersheriff Mike Parker have offered to help keep inmate transports going by volunteering to ride “shotgun.” The offer will allow transports to continue without any significant hurdles including a transport on Jan. 4 for an inmate heading to Western State Hospital in Lakewood.

“It is unrealistic to think that everything is going to be set between now and then,” Garcia said. “So, we are going to cover down because it is unacceptable to me that the inmates suffer, I mean they are already suffering, they are in jail, and people not be served. So that is my bottom line, and I think [the county] knows that.”

Courtroom security

The other significant issue is courtroom security, which for the Pacific County Superior Court has been performed by corrections officers. During the previous sheriff’s office administration, the county began funding two correction officer positions for courtroom security.

With the jail separation and lack of commission, corrections officers cannot perform jail security or be armed. Jail security is mandated by Washington state law to be performed by the county sheriff, and it’s a role Garcia does not plan to “abdicate.”

To keep things functioning, Garcia proposed that he supply one road deputy and the jail supply one corrections officer to provide courtroom security. Garcia and Byrd reached a verbal agreement.

“My word is my bond,” Byrd said.

The commission and courtroom issues are only the tip of the iceberg of things that have to get sorted out with the separation. The quick separation has left many issues in limbo without clear answers or quick fixes.

“There is a mountain of programs that need to be set up through the jail in this separation,” Garcia said. “One of which being Axon, it was in the cards down the line to acquire body cameras for them — that hasn’t been done yet.”

“That costs money, and that is something that you and [the county], but their own Axon account will be needed,” Garcia added.

In addition to the Axon account, the sheriff’s office also owns the tasers, firearms, and other equipment, including uniforms and body armor issued to corrections officers. The agency also holds the transport vehicles.

“I’m not going to take those tasers because they need them,” Garcia said since his agency already possesses the firearms.

Garcia has vowed to ensure every corrections officer has every bit of equipment they need, including transferring firearms once allowed and the tasers, and not stripping them of their body armor or any protective equipment — or their current uniforms while new ones are being acquired.

Toward the end of the meeting, Garcia offered to maintain oversight of the jail until everything was set up with the new department. This would make him comfortable offering a commission to the corrections officers, but the offer was rejected.

Pull Quote

‘I think often in the manner that we approach things, it’s misunderstood and everything bottom line is to ensure that people are served and we are most effective, period.’

Daniel Garcia, Pacific County sheriff

Commissioner Lisa Olsen also suggested Garcia offer a short-term commission since the corrections officers recently completed a new round of firearms training. Garcia noted that they would be testing again soon and were unwilling to offer a commission without his request being met.

Commissioning can be provided by the cities of Raymond and South Bend but will only cover commission within their jurisdictions. South Bend could presumably help establish a commission for courtroom coverage. The agency will also be the routine agency having to respond to the jail following the separation.

“That doesn’t mean that I am unwilling to respond,” Garcia said. “Certainly, I will for every situation. In fact, it pisses off some of the agencies that we respond [to]. We are routinely told to stand down we press on anyways because of the nature of the call.

“I piss off agencies in doing such, so I’ll do the same here; if we are needed, we will go regardless. I think often in the manner that we approach things, it’s misunderstood and everything bottom line is to ensure that people are served and we are most effective, period,” Garcia said.