Clallam County Sheriff’s Office staff updated the Board of County Commissioners on an upcoming application to the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) priority-area funding and on continuing funding pressures for the regional OPNET drug task force.

The sheriff’s office said Commerce changed application priorities last year in a way that temporarily excluded law enforcement agencies, then opened participation again after convening a working group. The office said it plans to pursue JAG dollars primarily to support community outreach and education tied to the opioid epidemic and to free up existing task-force funds for investigative operations. The application would also include a technology request to license Cellebrite (digital-forensics) software for use in phone/device extraction and analysis.

Commissioners were told a state budget proviso in 2024 provided $150,000 to task forces for one year; staff said that level is below earlier amounts (they cited past state support as high as roughly $250,000 for some task forces) and that the county’s ability to sustain a full analytic capacity has been reduced as a result. The sheriff’s office said investigators have absorbed additional analytic duties since analysts were laid off. Commissioners and staff discussed whether partnering with county Health and Human Services and other community organizations could strengthen the grant application.

No formal vote took place; staff said they would submit the JAG application in the coming days and keep commissioners informed. Commissioners asked to be kept apprised of subsequent legislative or budget developments that could restore or expand recurring state support.

Ending: Sheriff’s office staff asked the board to monitor the statewide budget conversation; staff said they will share talking points and follow up with commissioners about advocacy or partnership opportunities if the County proceeds to apply.