Program and speaker were introduced by Nathan Twining.
Sheriff Donnell Tanksley – Policing in Whatcom County
Chief Sheriff Tanksley hails from St. Louis, Missouri, and credits a lot of people for helping him in his personal life and his pursuit of a law enforcement career. He began his presentation with a brief history of the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. The formalization of the first WC Sheriff was in 1854. The office of Sheriff remains non-partisan.
Sheriff Tanksley spoke at length about Search and Rescue service in our county. These services fall under the sheriff but constitute an unfunded mandate, that consequently, relies heavily upon volunteer services and facilities. There is a current need for new Search and Rescue facilities for storing emergency equipment and communications.
Our county has a population of approximately 230,000 and covers about 2,500 square miles. Last year our Sheriff Deputies responded to 22,000 incidents. Of late, there has been a significant turnover of senior managers, including emergency management; Sheriff Tanksley is pleased with the new leaders he’s brought on board. A current goal is re-accreditation of the Sheriff’s Office by the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC). Apparently, this accreditation was lost some 21 years ago. Next June there will be a major review by WASPC.
The Sheriff’s presentation included a discussion of local drug problems. There have been 63 deaths already this year due to drug overdose. Drug use problems have mandated intervention training for Behavioral Health Deputies. Their training includes 40 hours of crisis intervention training. The discussion of drug intervention training led to the subject of drug sniffing dogs and the specific requirements for detecting fentanyl.
The Whatcom County Jail is always a timely subject. Our current jail, built in 1984, is not designed for rehabilitation. The Sheriff reported that the Whatcom County Jail is one of the worst jails he has seen. Even prisoner visitations are limited by the shortcomings of our present jail.
It is possible there could be a 2025 groundbreaking for a new corrections facility with the expectation that by 2028 they would be admitting prisoners. The new jail will have a capacity for 5-600 beds.
Post-incarceration drug use and overdose is a huge problem. This subject led to a discussion of Washington’s Reentry Initiative. The goal of this program is to enable inmates with drug addiction problems to have a successful transition and reentry into their community and a healthy lifestyle. Currently, there is $2.25 million committed for the next 4-6 years for this program.
Sheriff Tanksley is hopeful and encouraged by these supportive programs, new technologies, and enhanced Deputy training.
President Steve thanked Sheriff Tanksley for an informative program and his leadership in the County. He drew a raffle ticket and dismissed us.
Book Review
