Kittitas County sheriffs office seeks approvals for mutual-aid pacts and custody monitoring equipment
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Summary
The Board approved interlocal law-enforcement agreements formalizing mutual aid with Ellensburg and a town contract allowing a 4% increase, and heard a request to purchase equipment to monitor detainee vitals from Integrity Communications Solutions.
The Kittitas County Sheriff's Office presented several routine agreements to the board and requested authorization for equipment purchases.
Deputy/Chief Ben Coker (speaker 8) described an interlocal agreement with the City of Ellensburg that formalizes long-standing mutual-aid arrangements, including specialized capabilities such as a SWAT team and options for designating fiscal responsibility for joint activities. "It's just a formalization of a long standing handshake agreement," Coker said.
Coker also presented an interlocal law-enforcement services contract for a small town (transcript lists the town as 'South Salem, Washington') that allows a 4% annual increase in the contract price; the sheriff's office characterized it as a routine, mutually beneficial arrangement.
Kevin Duncan (speaker 5) from the Sheriff's Office requested approval of an agreement with Integrity Communications Solutions to purchase cell-based health and vitals monitoring equipment for people in custody who refuse to wear wearable monitors. The equipment is intended to support health and safety monitoring inside the jail environment.
Commissioners asked clarifying operational and finance questions; staff indicated options exist for which jurisdiction would handle shared financial responsibilities on interlocal matters. Board approved the agreements as presented.