Opinion - Top opinion

POSTED: Friday, Dec. 26, 2008

Foothills residents praise deputy who protects them

Jason Karb loves being the resident sheriff's deputy in the Foothills, and law-abiding folks there love him right back.

Their mutual admiration society will continue, because Karb has agreed to another two-year stint in the post.

"The whole resident deputy program has been absolutely invaluable to us out here," said Joyce Sappington, an active member of KendallWatch, a community improvement group. "We need Jason."

Under the program, a deputy with Whatcom County Sheriff's Office lives in the Foothills and patrols the area as his or her regular beat. Other resident deputies are assigned to Point Roberts, Newhalem and Baker Lake.

Each of those areas is distant from the sheriff's headquarters in Bellingham, so having deputies live where they work shortens their response time dealing with crimes and other emergencies.

The out-of-the-way nature of Columbia Valley and other parts of the Foothills, plus the availability of low-cost housing there, resulted in a crime surge in recent years, prompting the formation of KendallWatch and the call for more police coverage.

Karb wraps up his first two-year term this month and has agreed to stay two more years. He's the first Foothills deputy to re-up for the maximum of four years. Before Karb, Deputy Cliff Langley patrolled and lived in the Foothills.

The basic idea, along with quicker response time, is that a resident deputy quickly becomes familiar with troublemakers, and with lawful residents who often become more observant and helpful knowing there's a deputy they can call their own.

"It's like in the old days of the beat cop," Sappington said. "The criminals get to know him, and he gets to know them."

Karb, 35, brings a load of experience to the job. He joined the U.S. Marines after graduating from Bellingham High School, and spent four years in a special military police unit protecting the president - in Karb's case, Bill Clinton - and the presidential helicopter.

After four years with the Marines, he returned home to attend college. As married life ensued - he and his wife have four children - he cut back on classes and became a corrections officer at Whatcom County Jail, then worked for Western Washington University's police force.

Karb next joined the Sheriff's Office and raised his hand for the Foothills posting. He landed a gig where it's nice to live - his family enjoys their home by Silver Lake - and where he stays busy.

Does he ever. His beat covers several hundred square miles, from Paradise and Peaceful Valley to Kendall and Maples Falls. Much of the area has quiet, woodsy roads and housing areas, prime territory for burglars and car prowlers.

In the mid-'90s, burglaries sometimes topped 160 a year in the Kendall area. With the resident deputy program, burglaries dropped to 84 two years ago, and to 58 last year.

Along with building community rapport and trying to be visible, Karb said one of his tactics is to take anyone with outstanding warrants to jail, because that can disrupt plans they might have had to break into a home or car.

"Keep them off balance," he explained.

Earlier this year, Karb was honored at an inaugural Law Enforcement Awards Dinner for his work fighting crime in the Foothills.

"He's a one-man band out there," said Sheriff Bill Elfo. "He's very, very aggressive ferreting out crime."

Karb, for his part, credits the area's helpful residents, law officers from nearby agencies, and the work of KendallWatch members.

Elfo says he hears comparable praise about Karb's performance.

"We're very proud of the job he does," the sheriff said. "We still have a long way to go out there, but it's a difference between day and night out there."

10 days of caring On the last 10 days of 2008, The Bellingham Herald salutes Whatcom County people who make efforts to make our community a great place to live. Dec. 22: Cathy Beaty, youth services Dec. 23: Jori Burnett, local government Dec. 24: John Harmon, housing Dec. 25: Phil Hageman, construction Today: Jason Karb, law enforcement Dec. 27: health Dec. 28: recycling Dec. 29: law Dec. 30: literacy Dec. 31: arts