Whatcom sheriff describes staffing constraints, rising crime
Whatcom County is seeing a temporary shortage of deputies and is having to handle extra work because of staffing shortages at other police agencies, Sheriff Bill Elfo told the Whatcom County Council last week.
Elfo said that Washington state accountability legislation aimed at law enforcement agencies that was enacted in 2021 was prompting officers to leave the state, Elfo said Tuesday, Feb. 22, after he briefed the Whatcom County Council’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee about a recent shooting that left two deputies wounded.
“Another fallout we are seeing is some good officers in Washington are leaving the profession and moving on to other states,” Elfo said.
“We are working on backfilling these positions as quickly as possible without compromising hiring standards, but there are inherent delays in the selection and training program,” Elfo said.
Training can take months, even for “lateral hires” who are experienced peace officers, he said.
Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald that three deputies recently resigned.
To replace them, two deputies are undergoing field training and four are attending the state’s Basic Law Enforcement Academy.
Further, the Sheriff’s Office is being forced to start investigating serious traffic crashes on Whatcom County roads because the Washington State Patrol is short-staffed and won’t continue providing that service.
A State Patrol statement in October 2021 said that 74 officers “separated” from the department because of Gov. Jay Inslee’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
“While we have the capability to investigate motor-vehicle accidents or serious motor-vehicle accidents through our road-use deputies, we’re going to have to increase the number of personnel with expertise in this area and take on that extra workload,” Elfo said.
Troopers will still investigate crashes on Interstate 5 and on state highways in Whatcom County, such as Pole Road and Guide Meridian, he said.
Some deputies have been moved temporarily from special units to basic patrol duties, but the mental health deputy program remains fully staffed, he said.
Rising crime
Meanwhile, crime is rising sharply and pandemic-related booking restrictions at the jail are sending suspects back to the street where they commit new crimes, Elfo said in his report to the council.
“The courts are often forced to release people, who otherwise would be held, due to inadequate space. And what we see is that many go on to commit new crimes and, in the worst of cases, they commit new crimes many times,” Elfo said.
“After years of declining crime rates in the unincorporated Whatcom County and for that matter, throughout the state, crime rates are skyrocketing,” he said.
He offered a list of “index crimes” and cited statistics showing the rapid rise in crime over a six-month period.
▪ Burglaries up 71%, from 125 to 198.
▪ Robberies up 700%, from 0 to 7.
▪ Theft up 34%, from 202 to 272.
▪ Car theft up 112%, from 53 to 111.
“The situation in Whatcom County mirrors trends that are being seen statewide with regard to more crime,” Elfo said.
