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Sheriff reports near-full staffing, new search tool and support for Senate Bill 5286
Summary
Sheriff Lindgren told council the sheriff’s office is down to one vacant position and is implementing a new search tool to let deputies search across systems; he also reported testifying on Senate Bill 5286, which he said would fund police services tied to Eastern State Hospital.
Sheriff Lindgren updated the Medical Lake City Council on staffing, new technology and legislative advocacy for funding police services at state institutions.
"We're in a position at the sheriff's office where our staffing is now we're down to one vacant position," Sheriff Lindgren said, adding that many new hires are in training and will reach patrol status over the coming months. He credited the training center and recruiting efforts for recent hires.
Lindgren also described a recently deployed software tool that indexes information across multiple existing systems to let deputies and detectives search more efficiently when real-time crime center resources are not available. "It's gonna save time...this is the type of program that's gonna help us to do that," he said.
On legislation, Lindgren said he testified on Senate Bill 5286 (referred to in the meeting as funding for police services) and that the bill had passed the Senate unanimously and was favorably received in committee. He told the council the funding would support community policing and responses tied to Eastern State Hospital.
On crime data, Lindgren said February data were not yet available but that year-to-date queries show Medical Lake remains "a really safe community" with roughly one case a day on average and offenses averaging once every two days; he acknowledged that those events may not always be criminal matters or arrests.
Nut graf: The sheriff's update combined operational details — staffing and new search software — with the office's legislative outreach on SB 5286, a bill the sheriff said aims to secure statutory funding for police services for state institutions. Council thanked the sheriff for the report and had no further questions.
Ending: Sheriff Lindgren concluded his report noting the office’s recruitment success and training pipeline and invited questions; council members offered appreciation for the office’s community policing work.
