HomeMy WebLinkAboutCriminal Justice Sep 24 2024Whatcom County
Council Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360)778-5010
Committee Minutes - Final
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
2PM
Council Chambers - Hybrid Meeting
HYBRID MEETING - MAY BEGIN EARLY - (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON, SEE
REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil, OR
CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Barry Buchanan
Tyler Byrd
Jon Scanlon
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Cathy Halka, AICP, CMC
Council Criminal Justice and Public Committee Minutes - Final September 24, 2024
Safety Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Barry Buchanan called the meeting to order at 2 p.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Jon Scanlon
Also Present: Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, Kaylee Galloway, and Mark Stremler
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. A11 02/1„_;5' 8. Report from the Sheriff's Office
Donnell Tanksley, Sheriff, reported on the following:
• Two dogs recently trained for Fentanyl detection and a request to add
one that would be dedicated to the jail
• The current jail population
• The County's drug task force and the amount of drugs they have
seized
• Crime statistics in unincorporated Whatcom County and the state
• Sheriff's Department staffing and the efforts to recruit for twelve
open positions
• Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC)
Loaned Executive Management Assistance Program (LEMAP)
assessors coming in July of 2025 as a step toward accreditation
• An upcoming crisis intervention team certification course in
December
He answered questions about the use of the plantation rifle range, where
they go while that is unavailable, 'and how flinch tiie Sheriff s Office needs
the range for training if there is a resource that is working now. He stated
they really do need a space, and he thinks that it would be preferred if they
had a space that is owned by the County. He answered whether there is
interest in the Sheriffs Department in taking the range over so it is not in
the Parks Department, and stated it is something he would love to have a
conversation about. It would be a resource that would not only be used
properly, but would increase their training capacity.
Byrd spoke about the possibility of privatizing the range, who uses it, and
Wkatcom County Page I
Council Criminal Justice and Public Committee Minutes - Final September 24, 2024
Safety Committee
that Parks might be charging the Sheriff's Office a higher rate than what
Custer charges them.
Tanksley answered questions about the drug task force, the reasons for
crime rates in the county being lower than the state, impacts of increased
staffing in some areas of the county, and the impacts of being down twelve
deputies in corrections. He stated, at the core, it has the largest impact on
the employees that are working there now and also has impacts on
operations.
This agenda item was REPORTED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
Adiournment
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
The meetingg j�jou
,,Wf.d at 2:25 p.m.
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Cathy Halk'a, Council Clerk
Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
Barry Buchanan -via email 10/2/2024
Barry Buchanan, Committee Chair
miatcom County Page 2