SEQUIM — A Sequim High School alumnus has been named an assistant chief of the State Patrol and is in charge of the agency’s Investigative Services Bureau.
Randy Drake, 46, of Olympia, began the new job Sept. 24.
He said it was “a complete honor” to take over the position, in which he oversees more than 400 staff members.
“For me, this job right here is a total dream,” Drake said.
A promotion ceremony is set for 10 a.m. Tuesday at the General Administration Auditorium on the state capitol campus in Olympia.
Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict plans to attend.
He and Drake had worked together after Drake transferred to Clallam County in August 1996.
“I was a brand new deputy and he was a brand new trooper assigned to the Peninsula,” Benedict said.
The two worked the night shift together.
“I saw that Randy had talent,” Benedict said. “I saw the tremendous potential in Randy Drake.”
Since then, Drake “has contributed significantly to law enforcement both on the Olympic Peninsula and in Washington state throughout his distinguished career,” Benedict said.
The Investigative Services Bureau consists of six divisions that provide such public services as maintaining criminal records, conducting illicit drug investigations and dismantling clandestine labs, providing computer forensics, gathering intelligence on organized crime and investigating fatality, criminal and missing children cases.
Drake holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Washington State University in Pullman and a master’s degree in missional leadership from Northwest University in Kirkland.
Drake, who was born in Aberdeen, graduated from Sequim High School in 1987. His mother, Becky Woolman, and sisters, Debbie Drake and Shelley Knotek, live in the Sequim area.
After high school, Drake enlisted in the Army.
“I graduated in June and was in basic training in November,” he said.
“My dream at the time was to go into the Army and become a helicopter pilot. I got close. I was a helicopter mechanic” who worked on Apache twin-turboshaft attack helicopters.
After four years, he was honorably discharged with a rank of specialist.
Drake began his career with the State Patrol on May 11, 1992, as a trooper cadet assigned to mansion security.
“We have cadets, as part of our capitol security here in Olympia
. . . who guard the governor’s mansion 24-7,” he said.
“There is always a law enforcement presence on the ground where the governors’ stay. We do have executive protection troopers that are assigned to protect the governor as well,” Drake said.
“In that role, what I was doing was supplementing that protection detail.”
Drake graduated with the 76th Trooper Basic Training Class, was commissioned on May 27, 1993 and assigned to the Seattle area.
“I was in Seattle as a new trooper, and did a few years there and loved it,” he said.
In 1996, he transferred to Clallam County where he served as a patrol trooper.
“I thought it would be a good idea to transfer back to where I came from,” he said.
Drake said he enjoyed patrolling the streets where he had grown up.
“On the one hand, it was great because, at the time, I knew a lot of people in town and just enjoyed the policing mission with people I knew.”
But, “I came from Seattle to Sequim, and that is a big change in terms of activity and excitement — a lot of the things I joined the agency to do [that] just weren’t happening as frequently as I was used to,” he said.
Fortunately, he said, he didn’t often have to issue speeding tickets to classmates.
“Not a lot of that happened.”
Drake was promoted to sergeant and assigned to the Bremerton area on Nov. 21, 1997.
On April 19, 1999, he was appointed to detective sergeant with the Investigative Assistance Division, West Sound Narcotics Enforcement Team.
On Sept. 1, 2006, Drake was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to the Vancouver area.
On Oct. 1, 2006, he was appointed to the Investigative Assistance Division as commander of the Special Weapons and Tactics Team, the Organized Crime Intelligence Unit, and the Washington State Fusion Center.
He was appointed captain of the Homeland Security Division on March 16, 2012.
On Feb. 1, 2013, he was appointed commander of the Field Operations Bureau, District 2, in Bellevue.
Drake said the experience he garnered from serving in those positions prepared him well for his assignment as assistant chief.
“When it came time for this position, I just happened to have a lot of professional experience in the bureau, so it was a good fit,” he said.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
