PORT HADLOCK, WA - A petition was created last month by the Sheriff's Office Citizen Advisory Committee to bring increasing attention to the issue of understaffed patrol deputies serving the county (Hood Canal to the Pacific Coast), especially on the account that the planning stages of the Pleasant Harbor project in Brinnon is nearing completion, which is forecast to increase demand for additional deputy service calls.

​One thousand signatures must be collected by November 1, 2017 to help bring this issue to voters by having it placed on the November ballot. 

Dick Schulte, the Kala Point representative on the panel, is collecting signatures at the Kayla Point Clubhouse and office. 

A copy of the petition is also at the Tri-Area Times office in the Port Hadlock Kivley Center, and you can also download a copy of the petition below to collect signatures yourself and submit them by November 1.
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STUDY SHOWS CURRENT STAFFING LEVELS INADEQUATE

In 2016 a study was performed for the JCSO by Washington State University to determine if the current staffing level was sufficient to meet the needs of the citizens in Jefferson County. The study concluded that the current staffing levels were inadequate to meet the needs of Jefferson County's citizens, indicating that:

1. Two more deputies should have been added in 2016
2. Two more deputies for years 2017-2019
3. Two (2) additional supervisors should be added in 2016 to provide adequate supervision of the JCSO deputies during all shifts. It is a best practice law enforcement practice to have full supervisory coverage during all shifts. This recommendation will allow for adequate supervision during critical JCSO public safety and order responses such as use of force or other potentially sensitive incidents,
4. Staffing data should be run through the model to determine appropriate staffing levels for 2020-2021
5. Given the limitation of the data, possible demographic increases in the County and in order to improve maintain the accuracy of the staffing study, it is highly recommended that the JCSO re-run this model utilizing the most recent data every five (5) years to determine if staffing levels are sufficient to meet the public safety and order needs of Jefferson County’s citizens.