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Sheriff’s office: promotions, 24/7 shift commander coverage, and a spike in some assaults tied to state facilities
Summary
The sheriff’s representative told the council the office will add 24/7 shift commander coverage and promote an additional detective Oct. 1 as vacancies fill; statistics showed 21 simple assaults in a recent month, 13 linked to state facilities, and council asked for incident reporting segregated to highlight DSHS‑related calls.
The sheriff’s office told the City Council on Sept. 16 that it is reorganizing patrol assignments to provide 24/7 shift commander coverage and expects to promote an additional detective Oct. 1 as vacancies are filled. The representative said the department’s property‑crimes and drugs unit will increase from eight to nine detectives.
The report included crime counts for a recent month. The sheriff’s representative said “simple assaults being at 21,” and that 13 of those were incidents associated with Department of Social and Health Services facilities. The report also showed six domestic‑violence incidents during the same period; the sheriff’s representative told council those six were distinct incidents rather than repeated calls for a single household.
On malicious mischief the representative said there were eight incidents and that three overlapped with other categories; examples included damage to a door during a dispute and vehicle damage from a vehicle prowl. The representative described the overall pattern as “nothing really connected or trendworthy” but said the department will continue to monitor domestic violence rates.
Staffing and equipment: The sheriff’s representative said the department is transitioning to a model with 24/7 shift commander coverage, creating additional lieutenant positions and filling some long‑open vacancies. The sheriff’s office is also planning CAD (computer‑aided dispatch) training in the first quarter of next year as it transitions to the Hexagon system, and the office has a priority to restore a motor unit so two officers can operate as a safer, effective team once staffing permits.
Services and victim support: The sheriff’s representative described coordination with the YWCA for domestic‑violence victim services and a referral process that includes warm handoffs and school counseling notifications for children in households affected by incidents. Council members asked for more distinct reporting and the sheriff’s representative said the department will provide an additional report sheet that segregates DSHS‑related incidents so spikes tied to state facilities are visible.
Next steps and directions: Council directed staff to receive the more detailed breakdown of DSHS‑related incidents in future reports and to monitor domestic‑violence trends. No formal action or vote was taken; the item was presented as a report to the council.
