PORT HADLOCK — Armed with a new report from a consultant assessing the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff David Stanko says he is pleased with the department’s effort toward bringing deputies closer with their constituents.
“We are a guardianship organization,” the three-month sheriff said. “We are here to serve the community.”
“The way to change that culture is to get out with the people, like having coffee with the cop, and having officers and deputies involved with the Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce.”
Stanko just received a report from DeVore and Associates LLC, a Twin Falls, Idaho, consultant who assessed the Sheriff’s Office in its efforts to create a community policing environment.
The report, which Stanko secured for the price of his per diem expenses, suggested opening communications with the citizenry through planned meetings, participation in civic groups and enhanced communication techniques, he said.
One recommendation was to hire more female deputies when openings occur and assigning them to patrol duties.
The department currently has two women on patrol — Chief Civil Deputy Kelli Greenspane and Deputy Barbara Garrett — along with two female corrections officers.
Stanko said the next anticipated deputy vacancy will be the result of a retirement in January.
At that time, he will make a special effort to recruit women and minorities, he said.
The report also suggested that the department develop a stronger media presence.
Law enforcement agencies view the news media as adversaries when [they] should be considered allies “to disseminate important information regarding department activities, meetings, problem-solving activities, crime and problem trends, the types of assistance needed from citizens, and even the complexities of modern policing,” the report states.
One of the initial community-policing efforts was the first of three weekly “Coffee With a Cop” sessions at the Chimacum Cafe last Wednesday.
Although only four people showed up, “we had some nice discussions,” Stanko said.
“We’ll do two more of these and then offer them at other locations such as the Bayview [in Port Townsend].”
Upcoming Coffee With a Cop Events will take place at 2 p.m. Wednesday and March 25 at the Chimacum Cafe, 9253 Rhody Drive, also at 2 p.m.
Stanko, a former Rotary Club president before his election as sheriff last fall, has assigned deputies to become members of local Kiwanis and Rotary clubs and sends someone — often himself — to weekly Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce meetings.
He also has begun Blue Courage Guardianship Training, a series of leadership workshops as well as critical incident training at which schools are instructed about preferred tactics should an incident occur.
The department also has established a presence in the Chimacum and Quilcene school districts, with one deputy operating out of the Quilcene campus and others visiting Chimacum regularly to play basketball with the kids, Stanko said.
He has identified mental health challenges in the county and is in the process of assembling a citizen advisory board that will provide input to the Sheriff’s Office.
With all the scheduled training, the department will become more effective and empathetic, he said.
“We had that fatal accident that was tremendously emotional,” Stanko said of a March 6 crash on Center Road.
“A 77-year-old woman whose leg was severed,” the sheriff said, “and you have officers treating her with empathy and respect, making sure she got the best care possible.
“You go from that call and then deal with a lady who has just lost her cat or her dog.
“How do you show proper empathy to her when you’ve just been through an emotional event?”
The answer, according to Stanko, is training officers on how to deal with the public during emotionally charged situations.
“A lot of our offenders have mental health problems, so our deputies need to understand how to deal with them,” Stanko said.
Stanko said the department will benefit from outside evaluations, such as the community policing assessment report conducted by DeVore in January.
Stanko said all the recommendations in the report are possible, although finding the money to support their implementation could be difficult.
The department is planning an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 2, during which time visitors can tour the office and the jail, at 79 Elkins Road in Port Hadlock.
The community policing report is not currently on the department’s website, www.jeffersonsheriff.org, but will be posted there in the near future, Stanko said.
To contact the Sheriff’s Office, phone 360-385-3831.
Stanko’s direct email is dstanko@co.jefferson.wa.us.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
