SEQUIM — 7 a.m. Wednesday: It looked to Ruth Marcus like a stakeout at Carrie Blake Park.
Two squad cars and two Sequim Police Department officers sought to apprehend a scofflaw.
Said offender was blond, approximately 22 inches in height and weighed 65 pounds. Wearing nothing.
That was the problem: The golden retriever was leashless, and the humans beside it were violating the Sequim city ordinance requiring dogs to be leashed in city parks.
Marcus saw the police going after the dog and owners Wednesday, and said the officers were back at the park Thursday morning.
That, she said, is a waste of police time and taxpayer money.
“It seems ludicrous to me,” said Marcus, 60.
“What upset me is the time the police spend to patrol the park, to find which dogs are off leash . . . to have two squad cars show up to apprehend the owners is just overkill.”
Police Chief Robert Spinks said he agrees with Marcus’ waste-of-time comment.
“I have police officers who’re highly trained and highly paid and have 8,900 other incidents to respond to,” Spinks said.
“But when someone calls 9-1-1, we respond.”
Yes, Spinks said, someone used 9-1-1 to complain about an unleashed dog in Carrie Blake Park.
Officer No. 1 approached the dog and its people “and they walked the other way. There happened to be another officer three blocks away,” so Officer No. 1 asked Officer No. 2 to contact the apparent offenders.
“They were given a verbal warning,” Spinks said.
Marcus, who also owns a golden retriever she walks in Carrie Blake Park between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m., said she respects the leash law.
But “dogs need to run. Where are we going to run them?” she asked.
Run them past the City Council, Spinks said.
Go to a Monday night council meeting and advocate for an off-leash dog park. Lots of cities have them.
Council members “actually listen,” Spinks said.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said Councilman John Beitzel.
