PORT HADLOCK — Andy Pernsteiner, who has worked as a patrol deputy and sergeant for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, will be promoted to undersheriff in a public ceremony Friday.
Sheriff Joe Nole will oversee the event, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. at East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Station 1-1, 9193 Rhody Drive in Chimacum.
“He’s always been an active traffic kind of guy,” Nole said. “We kind of grew up through the ranks here.”
Nole has spent 26 years with the department, mostly as a detective. That’s how he got to know Pernsteiner, who has patrolled county roads and enforced traffic laws for the past 21 years.
“Everybody knows who I am, and I know who they are,” Pernsteiner said.
Undersheriff is the second in command at the detachment. In addition to the jail superintendent, chief civil deputy and confidential secretary, it is a sheriff-appointed position. Nole was elected last November and took office in January. He quickly demoted Undersheriff Art Frank to patrol deputy.
Pernsteiner will be his first undersheriff.
“One of the biggest things I needed was an undersheriff I could count on,” Nole said.
Pernsteiner spent the past 13 years as a sergeant and the previous eight years as a patrol deputy. Nole said Pernsteiner will be in charge of operations — “basically the policing aspect of it,” he said.
“If you ask him to do something, you better make dang well sure that’s what you want done, because it’s going to get done that way,” Nole said.
Nole used an example of intending to tell his staff about the county’s request to have the parking lot empty of all vehicles so the public works department could clear debris from winter storms.
Nole forgot to send the notice, but Pernsteiner already had it taken care of.
When Nole arrived to work that day, the parking lot was clean.
“I’m glad [Pernsteiner] accepted the offer to take the position,” Nole said.
Pernsteiner said he’s familiar with many people in Jefferson County through the service calls to which he’s responded. He will move to a salaried position on Monday at $98,332, according to the 2019 Jefferson County budget.
Pernsteiner said his policy is simple: “Everybody needs to be treated the same — fairly and concisely — and any investigations need to be done fairly and swiftly.”
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Jefferson County Managing Editor Brian McLean can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56052, or at bmclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
