Walla Walla County commissioners on Aug. 18 approved a contract allowing the sheriff's office to purchase reporting software from Lexipol to meet the Washington State Data Exchange for Public Safety (WADEPs) reporting mandate. The purchase was presented by Chief Schram, who said the state-directed WADEPs portal — which Walla Walla County must begin reporting to as the portal becomes live — creates a heavy administrative burden on deputies and supervisors. "The burden on the agencies is extremely high," Schram said, describing the multiple review steps and manual entries required without an integrated solution.

Schram told commissioners the WADEPs requirement grew out of 2021 state legislation and that Washington State University was selected as the third-party portal operator. He said WADEPs asks for more and sometimes different information than the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) reporting the county already submits to WASPIC, and that state rollout problems have added urgency. "Lexipol is figuring out how to compile all that data and send it both directions without making us do more work," Schram said.

Schram described three vendor proposals and said the Lexipol option offered the most financially responsible approach while also adding several local benefits: a use-of-force portal that can report to WADEPs, vehicle pursuit tracking, complaint and internal-affairs case management, a public-facing complaint/commendation portal, and a single repository for records to speed responses to public-records requests. He said the sheriff's office can cover a portion of the first-year cost from its current budget and that the recurring cost would be about $8,000 annually, which staff will ask to include in the 2026 budget.

Commissioners expressed frustration that the state has repeatedly imposed new reporting requirements without funding. Commissioner Fulmer thanked Schram for the staff work; Commissioner Clayton asked for specifics about what constitutes a reportable use of force and whether the county already reports similar incidents. Schram read the statutory-style list WADEPs requires — fatality, great/substantial bodily harm, discharge of a firearm at or toward a person, pointing a firearm, choke holds/vascular neck restraints, electronic control weapons, capsicum spray, less-lethal munitions, and impact-weapon strikes — and said Lexipol will handle both WADEPs and CJTC/WASPIC reporting requirements.

Commissioner Clayton moved to approve the sheriff's office partnering with Lexipol and to authorize signing the agreement; Commissioner Fulmer seconded. The motion carried (2–0) with Commissioner Kimball absent. The county will proceed with contract execution and will present the recurring cost for inclusion in next year’s budget planning.