Island County sheriff candidates outline public safety priorities

Island County Democrats backed Langley Police Chief Tavier Wasser over incumbent Sheriff Rick Felici as the sheriff race sharpened around response times, deputy coverage and jail operations. For voters in Oak Harbor, Coupeville, Langley, Freeland and across Camano Island, the question is which candidate can keep deputies visible when calls come in across a county split by water and distance.

The Island County Deputy Sheriffs Guild and the Island County Corrections Association backed Felici, a rare show of support and the first time the organizations representing deputies in the Island County Sheriff’s Office voted to endorse a candidate to lead the department.

The sheriff’s office mission is to provide “unbiased, community-oriented police services” to maintain and enhance Island County as a safe, thriving community. The county’s law-enforcement career page requires patrol deputies and corrections deputies to pass a civil service examination, a physical ability test and other training requirements before they can fill those posts.

Those recruitment hurdles sit on top of a long budget squeeze. In 2009, county commissioners cut about $188,500 from patrol, administrative and support budgets, and sheriff’s officials were worried about the reductions. At another point, Seattle PI found the office had the lowest staffing level in Washington based on commissioned officers per 1,000 population.

Police Scorecard lists Island County’s sheriff department at 54% overall.