Sheriff's Corner

Hello from your Sheriff!

I know there has been widespread concern over the recent news regarding layoffs within the County Departments. Although my Office will see a reduction of one Corrections/Dispatch Officer and one Deputy, we will continue to provide the same level of emergency services that we have been for the last year with similar staffing levels. Undersheriff Howell and I will continue to respond to calls as working Sheriffs to assist in larger cases and call loads. We will also be working closely with the Court Offices to ensure Judicial services continue to run efficiently and to maintain our great Criminal Justice partnerships.

My Officers have done an excellent job of providing consistent services to the community during these times of fluctuating staffing levels. However, there could be delays in non-emergent services during busier times. If you have any questions or concerns, please give me a call at the Office.

Given the recent concern for Tsunami risk after the Kamchatka earthquake, I want to highlight some preparedness resources available online. Please visit https://mil.wa.gov/tsunami for valuable information on the science of Tsunamis, how the Tsunami alert systems work, best practices for evacuation, and a risk analysis for each County. Please visit http://www.mil.wa.gov/preparedness for general preparedness information and tips on how to “Be 2 Weeks Ready”. Please contact my Department of Emergency Management Coordinator, Austin Smith if you have any further questions or would like to be signed up for local alerts.

Our Johnson Park Field Office is in the process of relocating to the former Johnson Park Library room. This will provide a much larger space that will allow for local storage of Emergency Management and preparedness assets. The move will take some time to complete, so staffing of the office may be sporadic. I appreciate your patience during this process, and I thank the Johnson Park Advisory Board for offering and approving this opportunity!

Stay safe, Wahkiakum County!