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Sheriff's office says new traffic unit can assist city; enforcement limits noted
Summary
The county lieutenant said Thurston County has created a dedicated traffic unit and can assist Rainier under the existing contract, but he cautioned that dramatic actions (like removing trailers) would occur only under emergency or statutory conditions.
The county lieutenant briefed the council on enforcement capacity: the sheriff's office recently implemented a traffic unit with a sergeant and deputies focused on traffic enforcement. "We now have people that are subject matter experts and all those little nuance things that we can, definitely facilitate getting those taken care of," the lieutenant said.
Councilors asked whether the sheriff's office would enforce local parking or only state/county law under the contract. The lieutenant said the county enforces state and county law; local notices, fines and non-emergency ordinance enforcement typically remain with the city unless an emergency or specified statutory provision compels stronger action. He also cautioned the council that deputies would not remove trailers from driveways absent an emergency or clear statutory authority.
