Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Law Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cowlitz County commissioners oppose expanding noncitizen law‑enforcement hires; sheriff says state law already allows permanent residents
Summary
Commissioners voiced opposition to a state bill to permit noncitizens to serve as law‑enforcement officers and discussed options including a local resolution or code change; the sheriff told the board the basic authority for hiring permanent residents has been on the books since 2018 and outlined local hiring controls.
Cowlitz County commissioners on Tuesday debated a recently advanced state bill that would allow certain noncitizens to serve in law enforcement, with several commissioners urging local opposition and exploring whether a local resolution or code change could bar such hires.
“ I don't like it, and I don't I don't think there's pressure in our county to do it,” the chairman said during a wide-ranging discussion about the bill’s implications for public safety and local control. Commissioners repeatedly said the measure does not address underlying recruiting or retention problems for police and jail staff, and several urged the county to consider a formal local stance.
Multiple speakers raised practical and constitutional concerns, including whether noncitizen officers would be allowed to carry firearms and how they would be vetted. One attendee asked whether legal noncitizens who serve in the military would be treated differently; the chairman replied that federal military rules are outside the county’s control.
Cowlitz County Sheriff Bridal responded with a procedural clarification: the state law allowing noncitizens to be employed in law enforcement first went into effect in 2018 for permanent resident aliens, he said, and last session’s language had added references to DACA (deferred action for childhood arrivals). “That’s something that’s been in place since 2018,” the sheriff said, adding that the recent bills clarify classification language rather than create an entirely new authority.
Bridal described local safeguards and practice: agencies are not required to hire noncitizens or to pay for international background checks if finances make that impractical, and the county’s civil service commission sets hiring standards. He also said permanent resident aliens can obtain a concealed‑pistol license under Washington law and that, in his view, Cowlitz County does not currently face staffing pressures likely to cause the sheriff’s office to hire noncitizen applicants.
Commissioners and speakers discussed possible next steps. One commissioner proposed exploring a county code change to make a local prohibition explicit; another suggested a resolution as an initial step. Several speakers also raised separate but related issues: courtroom practices, judicial accountability and broader concerns about state and federal policy.
No formal motion to adopt a county policy or ordinance on the subject was made during the meeting. The board concluded the discussion by asking staff and legal counsel to investigate the options for a local response — including whether a resolution or code amendment would be feasible — and to report back to the commissioners.
Ending
Sheriff Bridal said he did not foresee an immediate need for the county to hire noncitizen officers; commissioners asked staff to research potential local actions and the legal pathway for a resolution or code change.
