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Sheriff’s Office: board approves North Thurston SRO contract, DOC overtime agreement, SWAT medic ILA and grappler purchase
Summary
The Board approved multiple Sheriff’s Office items: renewal of a North Thurston School District SRO contract (district share $95,000), a Department of Corrections overtime reimbursement for narcotics task-force participation, an interlocal agreement with Lacey Fire District 3 for SWAT medics and a sole-source purchase of grappler units and nets.
The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners on April 15 approved four Sheriff’s Office items: a school-resource officer (SRO) contract with North Thurston School District, a Department of Corrections (DOC) overtime-sharing agreement for the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, an interlocal agreement to include Lacey Fire District 3 medics on the county SWAT team and a single-source purchase of grappler systems and nets funded through a federal grant.
The board approved a contract with North Thurston School District that lists the district’s share as $95,000 for the coming school-year funding cycle. The sheriff’s office said deputies’ total cost to the county varies by pay step and benefits but typically ranges roughly between $120,000 and $150,000 per deputy; the district’s payment covers a portion of a full-time deputy assigned as an SRO during the school year.
During public discussion Commissioner Emily Klaus asked for more time to consult with the sheriff and the school district on some statutory and contract details; the sheriff and undersheriff responded that the SRO posts are ongoing, long-standing partnerships the districts requested and that training and certification records for current SRO deputies meet state requirements. Commissioner Klaus later raised a motion to postpone consideration two weeks to allow additional outreach; the motion was not seconded and therefore did not proceed. The board then approved the North Thurston contract. The vote for the SRO contract was recorded as four in favor and one abstention.
Separately the board approved a DOC contract reimbursing the department for overtime up to $10,000 per year for two DOC employees participating with the county narcotics task force; the sheriff’s office said those funds come from drug-seizure accounts and not the general fund.
The board also approved an interlocal agreement adding Lacey Fire District 3 medics to the county’s SWAT deployment protocol; sheriff’s staff said embedding trained medics with SWAT reduces the need to stage separate medic units and improves immediate care at high-risk incidents and mass-casualty scenarios.
Finally the board approved a single-source purchase of two grappler units and associated nets from Stock Enterprises, LLC, funded through a federal grant; county staff said Fleet Services is now qualified to install grapplers, which reduced costs and allowed purchase of additional nets.
Each action was approved by the board and the sheriff’s office said it will coordinate implementation with partner agencies and the grant funder.
