Our Vision for Thurston County Public Safety

Public safety is a group effort.

My job is to be a steward of the Thurston County Sheriff's Office, ensuring it remains trusted, capable, and sustainable for the long term.

1. Professional Policing, Proven Standards

• Set clear standards based on safe law and best practices to keep both deputies and citizens safe.

How we will do it

Pursue professional accreditation Thurston County should meet the same professional standards already adopted by neighboring agencies such as Mason County, Grays Harbor County, and the Lacey Police Department. Accreditation programs, developed in the 1970s and offered through the Washington Association of Sheriff’s and Police Chiefs, provide nationally recognized benchmarks for policy, training, accountability, and risk management.

By pursuing accreditation we will:

  • Conduct a full review of policies and procedures

  • Align our operations with national best practices

  • Implement ongoing independent assessments and internal audits

  • Reduce liability and strengthen professional accountability

Accreditation is not about bureaucracy—it is about ensuring the community and our deputies know that the agency operates according to proven professional standards.

Build a culture of continuous improvement Accredited agencies regularly review policies, training, and outcomes. This ensures we are constantly improving rather than waiting for problems to appear. Professional policing should rely on clear standards and constant improvement, not personality or politics.

2. Fiscal Responsibility with Public Value

As your Sheriff, I will make sure every taxpayer dollar is used wisely. Public safety should be effective, not just costly.

  • Carefully review our systems and tasks to make sure we use funds responsibly.

  • Lower costs by managing risks and planning carefully.

  • Connect every spending decision to clear, measurable results in community safety.

How we will do it

Link spending to measurable outcomes Every major program within the Sheriff’s Office should be able to answer a simple question: How does this improve safety for our community? Programs will be reviewed regularly to ensure they produce meaningful results.

Use professional standards to reduce costs Agencies that follow strong policies and training standards often reduce costly litigation and liability claims. Accreditation, risk management, and strong supervision protect both employees and taxpayers.

Publish annual program reports Each year the Sheriff’s Office should publish a comprehensive report describing how programs are performing. These reports would include updates from units and programs such as:

  • Major criminal investigations

  • Animal cruelty investigations

  • Dive team and marine rescue operations

  • Emergency vehicle operations training

  • Firearms and training cadre programs

  • Jail operations and rehabilitation programs

  • Chemical dependency and behavioral health partnerships

  • Educational and transition programs inside the jail

  • Community harm-reduction initiatives

  • Partnerships with nonprofits and service providers

Public safety success should be measured not only by arrests, but by prevention, recovery, and community outcomes.

3. Stronger Training, Safer Outcomes

Community policing works best when deputies have the right training and support. We need to invest in our people so they can serve you better.

  • Focus on training in de-escalation, communication, and decision-making to help reduce mistakes and prevent burnout.

  • Set clear expectations for how everyone in the organization interacts with the public.

  • Judge deputy performance by their impact on the community, not just by how many stops or arrests they make.

How we will do it

Modernize our field training model The traditional Field Training Officer (FTO) model, developed in the mid-1970s, has served policing well for decades. However, many agencies are now exploring the Police Training Officer (PTO) model, developed in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The PTO model focuses more heavily on:

  • community engagement

  • problem-solving

  • scenario-based learning

  • critical thinking and decision-making

Rather than simply teaching new deputies how to perform tasks, PTO emphasizes how deputies work with the community to solve problems and prevent crime before it happens. As Sheriff, I will explore transitioning toward a training model that blends the strengths of both systems while emphasizing community-oriented policing and long-term problem solving.

We will also ensure our initial training time is at or exceeds our peers. We will not criticize how poorly prepared recruits are by our state academy and then provide them with abbreviated training just to get them on the road.

Sustainable growth within a law enforcement agency is essential to maintaining both effective training and the long-term wellbeing of the deputies responsible for delivering it. When agencies expand thoughtfully and plan staffing levels appropriately, training responsibilities can be distributed in a way that prevents overburdening Field Training Officers and other training staff. This ensures that new deputies receive the time, mentorship, and structured instruction they need to succeed while experienced deputies are not repeatedly pulled into training roles without adequate recovery time. By planning for growth, investing in instructor development, and maintaining a healthy pool of trained trainers, the Sheriff’s Office can create a training environment that develops confident, capable deputies while reducing burnout and maintaining operational readiness across the organization.

Train with our regional first responders Public safety agencies must work together seamlessly during disasters and major emergencies. To strengthen regional readiness, we will:

  • Conduct regional scaled multi-agency exercises every other year

  • Conduct tabletop command exercises in alternating years

These exercises will ensure agencies are prepared to coordinate during:

  • mass casualty incidents

  • natural disasters

  • large-scale emergencies

When our community faces a crisis, we should already know how to communicate, who has incident command, and how to operate together effectively.

4. Transparent, Two-Way Community Engagement

Real trust comes from open conversations, not just announcements. I will treat everyone in this community as a partner in public safety.

  • Start Citizen Academies and rotating Community Advisory Groups.

  • Share clear, useful performance data that everyone can understand and check for themselves.

  • Work with nonprofits, businesses, and service providers to solve problems together before they get worse.

How we will do it

Strengthen public safety communication Transparency begins with communication that is honest, professional, and consistent. Our communication strategy will prioritize:

  • timely and accurate information

  • clear explanations of policies and outcomes

  • highlighting the work of our employees and partners

Social media will be used as one communication tool, supported by:

  • community meetings

  • neighborhood outreach

  • partnerships with civic organizations

  • collaboration with local nonprofits

Our goal is to build communication that strengthens trust in the institution and the people who serve within it.

Additional information:

Create a county partnership approach to problem properties Some properties in our community fall into severe disrepair and become hubs for criminal activity, public health hazards, and environmental violations. There is an important difference between:

  • individuals struggling with housing and living in RVs or temporary situations

  • large properties with dozens of vehicles, unsafe sewage systems, and persistent criminal activity

To address these issues early, we will strengthen partnerships between:

  • the Sheriff’s Office

  • Public Health

  • Community Planning and Economic Development

  • Environmental Health

  • Code Enforcement

Together we can build a coordinated county abatement and compliance response team. The goal is not punishment—it is early intervention and prevention. By addressing unsafe conditions early we can:

  • prevent entrenched criminal activity

  • protect neighboring property values

  • reduce public health risks

  • improve quality of life for surrounding residents

Instead of simply chasing crime from one location to another, we can address the conditions that allow it to grow.

My approach to communication will focus on strengthening the institution of the Sheriff’s Office rather than elevating any single leader. Professional guidance from industry organizations emphasizes that agency communications, especially on social media, should build public awareness of the mission, the people doing the work, and the services provided to the community. Under my leadership, our communication channels will highlight the accomplishments of the entire organization: deputies, corrections staff, civilian professionals, and our community partners. Sheriffs and police chiefs serve as temporary stewards of long-standing public institutions, and those institutions should always receive the credit for the good work being done. When communication focuses on the agency and its mission rather than any one individual, it strengthens public trust and ensures the organization remains respected and sustainable long after any particular leader’s tenure has ended.

Public safety is a group effort, not the product of any single individual. Through my time in the military, my service with the Sheriff’s Office, and my education, I have learned that while individuals temporarily hold leadership positions, no one person’s name should be elevated above the institution and the mission it serves. Strong agencies are built by teams of dedicated professionals working together toward a common purpose. The role of a leader is to support that team, strengthen the organization, and ensure the institution remains trusted, capable, and sustainable long after any one person’s tenure has ended.