The Journal sat down with the candidates for San Juan County Sheriff for a question and answer session. Answers have been edited for clarity and space, but here is what they had to say:
Q: In your experience, what are the most important qualities a sheriff should have? Why do you believe you’re the best person for the job?
Eric Peter: A sheriff must absolutely be honest, carry themselves with integrity, and be of high moral character. It’s preferable in 2022 that a Sheriff also possesses, emotional intelligence, broad experience, empathy, and an ability to grow meaningful collaborative community partnerships. It is by living this truth, not merely speaking it, that inspires public trust, and confidence in the people’s law enforcement. The times call for law enforcement to transform, moving away from approaching “the community” as something “to control” but instead recognizing the community is a resource. The sheriff must set the tone for the agency to treat everyone, staff, and members of the public with dignity and respect. This creates an environment where no one feels treated unfairly. I am confident that my 27-plus years of broad law enforcement experience and 14 years of supervising law enforcement personnel, from teams in the fourth largest city in the country to one of the smallest counties in Washington State has prepared me to lead the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office. Our community deserves a model of excellence, if elected, I will work every day to achieve this goal.
Ron Krebs: A sheriff must be a leader, must possess self-awareness, and be a good communicator. A good sheriff must also possess an even temperament, be fair and impartial in the administration of their duties and always have a positive attitude.
Effective leaders realize they cannot do it all and must delegate and employ the talents of the people they hire. A leader cannot be everywhere at once and cannot do everything, they cannot micromanage. A true leader empowers and raises up those around him to support the mission and vision of the sheriff’s office and a leader must understand that people are complex and everyone is different.
As the sheriff, I believe I embody all of these qualities and so many more that goes into being a good and caring sheriff. I hire incredible people, provide excellent and relevant training, and hold them to my expectations, then empower them to make decisions based on those expectations. I have always believed that if you make your people successful, they will make you successful.
Q: If elected, what would be your top priorities?
Peter: My top priorities are creating a culture of safety, improving communication, rebuilding trust with the entire community, and embracing transparency. Cultivating a culture of Procedural Justice Principles throughout the Sheriff’s Office. Emphasize accountability by adhering to consistent procedures, policies, and practices that builds trust within the agency and in our community. Working with the command staff to develop practices across the agency ensuring crimes are investigated thoroughly and professionally. In an effort to increase equity and clarity of decision-making, I will create a method where officers will review their reports for bias to bring objectivity. It is important that victims feel heard and those engaged in criminal behaviors are held accountable.
Krebs: Keeping our citizens safe by being proactive, responding promptly and appropriately to all calls, and completing timely and thorough investigations. To address the rapid rise in mental health, substance abuse and homelessness-associated calls, I have provided increased, targeted training in Trauma Informed Care, Crisis Intervention and Verbal De-Escalation to our deputies and countywide support agencies. I’ve added the support of a contracted psychiatrist specializing in emotional trauma extending her services agency-wide. The sheriff’s office is part of a community partnership to provide wraparound treatment for substance abuse and mental health disorders. Our collaborative approach includes restorative justice, recognizing that these individuals do not need incarceration but treatment, help, and services to reform and become productive. Additionally, I petition regularly for budget increases to add more deputies and detectives.
Q: What do you believe is the top challenge facing the sheriff’s office?
Peter: The number one issue facing our sheriff’s office is a lack of strong, transformational, leadership from the top. Policies are applied inconsistently, and some functions of our work lack policy and procedure completely. For instance, the sheriff’s office Marine Program has no official department policy regulating the operation of the marine patrol. Deputies need clear guidance, so they know what they are doing and why, while serving on marine patrol. There is little to no return in value or results from the overtime investment in the marine patrol program. This needs to be addressed. I would instill a command staff with over 61 years of combined law enforcement experience, including 37 in leadership roles. In my first 100 days, we will do a complete review of our policies and procedures to address areas where we are lacking, what needs improving, and what is thriving. This will include input from members of our agency community partners, and members of the public. I am confident in our team, our partners, and the community to face challenges together creating the best outcomes for San Juan County.
Krebs: Staffing is a priority and always challenging. The success of the SJCSO relies on attracting qualified, diverse applicants to live and work in our county. We face the same challenges as all SJC business owners, finding qualified applicants that are willing to move to the island and find housing. I’ve been extremely fortunate to assemble an extraordinary group of men and women, comprising both local and lateral hires of a wide range of backgrounds and experience.
In 2019, to help attract a broader more diverse applicant pool, I appointed recruiters from our agency, to seek out opportunities to represent San Juan County as a great place to work, live and raise a family and, in 2022, I added a hiring bonus for added incentive. I will continue to hire high-caliber employees who will fit in with our community while providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. I’ll continue to advocate for mutually beneficial Guild contracts and fair and appropriate compensation for my employees. Having an eye on the future, I’ll continue sending deputies through advanced leadership training and offer opportunities for advancement. This will secure the future success of the SJCSO for years to come.
Q: There are a lot of talks nationally for the need to reform local law enforcement. What sorts of real and meaningful local law enforcement reforms do you feel are necessary locally?
Peter: It is imperative to establish Procedural Justice Principles throughout the Sheriff’s Office to ensure our community can count on our department to provide a service that is clear, consistent, and free of bias. This is accomplished by creating a department wide culture of adhering to these principles:
Voice- Ensure community has an opportunity to be heard
Respect- Community is treated with dignity and respect (LEED Model-Listen-Explain-Equity-Dignity)
Trust/Neutrality- Community perceives law enforcement as neutral &
competent and their decisions as unbiased and accurate.
Understanding- Community understands decisions including the reasons
for those decisions
Helpfulness- Community perceives that law enforcement personnel have a genuine interest in their needs and personal situation.
Krebs: My goal as sheriff is to provide our citizens a respectful, safe environment and promote trust in my office. As a small town agency, we wholeheartedly embrace community policing and understand the value of strong relationships with all community members. We are fortunate our deputies live and work here and our relationship is not an us vs them mentality, it’s a ‘we’.
To find what fits our community needs and evolve the office to meet new challenges, I’m continually reviewing nationwide agency best practices and procedures, along with WASPC recommendations. [WASPC agency accreditation ensures policies and procedures meet current national industry best practices such as use of force reviews, citizen complaints, and biased-based report tracking.] We are experiencing a huge increase in mental health and substance abuse calls. Through targeted training, I’ve ensured our deputies will have the tools necessary to provide safe and inclusive interactions with these individuals. We are fortunate to have the time to listen and be involved in proactive solutions that include our partner agencies like Safe San Juans, Juvenile Court Services and family resource centers. We routinely utilize de-escalation techniques, training I implemented, to diffuse difficult mental health and substance abuse calls. I embrace restorative justice and believe substance abuse should be treated not punished. I’ve worked closely with the Prosecutor’s Office and Juvenile Court to advocate for treatment solutions. The body-worn camera program I requested was funded this year and will be live soon, providing increased safety and transparency.
Q: What are the most significant drug issues facing San Juan County?
Peter: In my experience, the most significant drug issue facing San Juan County is the unbelievable ease of access to dangerous drugs like meth, heroin, and fentanyl. The Washington v Blake decision by the Washington State Supreme Court which decriminalized simple possession of dangerous drugs that destroy lives and families.
The Washington Supreme Court on February 25, 2021, held that the simple felony possession of controlled substance statute was unconstitutional and void. Under the current law, possession of narcotics is only a misdemeanor on the third time they are caught in possession of narcotics. The first two times a person is found in possession of narcotics, law enforcement must refer the person for drug treatment. The third time a person is caught with narcotics, law enforcement prepares a probable cause statement, sends it along with the report to the prosecutor’s office, and the prosecutor’s office must refer the person for drug treatment and diversion. The fourth time a person is caught with narcotics law enforcement can now charge them with a misdemeanor in court. However, there is a sunset clause in this law which states if the law is not changed, simple drug possession for controlled substances would become non-criminal again in July 2023 as a result of the Blake decision.
I would address this by taking an active role with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs in the upcoming legislative session, advocating for common-sense drugs laws that blend therapeutic alternatives with accountability. I will re-establish a real, functional, and collaborative, relationship with the Regional Drug Task Force, asking for their help to arrest drug dealers and the people who are delivering dangerous drugs into our community, jeopardizing the lives of our community members, especially our youth.
Krebs: The most recent significant drug issue occurred in February of 2021, when the Washington State Supreme Court overturned the drug possession law, ruling it unconstitutional. This made simple possession of any drug legal, as well as disallowing many of the tools previously employed to apprehend dealers. The result of this is the inability to arrest anyone for simple drug possession and a lack of leverage to incentivize treatment. Statewide, drug-related arrests are down over 73%. Under past law, if someone were in possession, a drug charge could be used as an incentive to enter a treatment diversion program in lieu of jail time. Treatment is still offered but with no incentive, most substance abusers decline. I was proud of our Drug Court Program and the successes we saw from it. The law changes effectively shut the program down. Recovery takes treatment and community support. We need to broaden our efforts by providing opportunities for those who want to recover, including jobs and housing. Deputies receive training in drug recognition and substance abuse issues which they apply during everyday interactions. We continue to be vigilant and have a zero tolerance for drug dealers, to make arrests even with the new laws, as have our partner agencies in the Northwest Region. We have an outstanding relationship with Island, Whatcom and Skagit County drug task forces and our detectives attend monthly regional meetings with these agencies. Locally, I’ll continue to support our partner agencies and work collaboratively with them and the court system to find treatment and rehabilitation options and I’ll add my voice to the many at the State level lobbying to reestablish a restorative justice system for drug crimes.
Q: Islanders have voiced concerns about the safety and welfare of the youth in our community. What services can the sheriff’s office provide to help local youth thrive?
Peter: My vision to connect with and ensure the safety and welfare of our young people in the community is to create a youth advocacy group consisting of personnel from the Sheriff’s Office, Juvenile Court Services, Safe San Juans, Compass Health, Consejo Counseling, and referral services, San Juan County Health & Human Services, child welfare, family resource center(s), school districts, and parent-teacher organizations. This group will create forums on each island district to plan, prepare, and address substance using by our young people in a holistic approach to ensure youth know they are valued, and provide additional positive role models and interactions with adults in our community. It is my goal to interrupt the behaviors before they spiral out of control. Young people need predictable community boundaries in order to develop healthy internal boundaries. We must come together to help our youth thrive, especially those most at risk. Come together to support rather than ignore.
Mentorship, lead by example, instill values, educate, let them know you care, and Tip411.
Krebs: First and foremost, lead by example with strong moral values, showing tolerance and being inclusive and respectful of those around us. I intentionally look for these traits when I hire new employees. My deputies, many of whom have children, are encouraged to visit the schools, have a presence when students arrive, have lunch with them, be nearby as they leave and attend after-school and sporting events. These non-threatening social interactions help [deputies and youth bond and] foster trust. I meet regularly with the school superintendent and principals to listen to their concerns and provide support. Programs like Every 15 Minutes bring home the tragedy of poor choices and other educational opportunities, the sheriff’s office lends our participation and supports our community partners’ efforts to educate children about drugs and substance abuse. By recognizing that cell phones and social media are how our youth communicate, I’ve contracted a new mobile app that utilizes anonymous text and email, Tip411, to make reporting concerns easier, and safer, for our youth. I’ll be working closely with the schools on presenting this service. We are resuming our Junior Explorer program which provides mentorship for youth exploring law enforcement careers.
Q: Animal Control – What is your position on the sheriff’s office providing animal control training for officers? And what statistics can you provide to support your position?
Peter: With the sheriff’s office being the de-facto animal control in our county, we must ensure that at least one deputy on each island is trained & certified in the animal control officer course to properly investigate animal cases of animal neglect, abuse, and negligent owners whose animals get out and attack other animals and people. We as a sheriff’s office are doing our community members a disservice if we don’t train our Deputies to properly investigate crimes involving animals. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center conducts a two-week ACO course at the cost of $450 per officer.
Krebs: Over the last four years, there have been approximately 20 calls relating to animal cruelty or neglect. About two-thirds of these calls were from one individual to report suspected abuse or neglect. Many of these accusations involved animals not being kept to a standard held by the reporting individual but well within accepted animal husbandry practices. These cases were all thoroughly investigated and included a veterinarian, if necessary, to assess the animals in question. Their conditions were well documented with photos and videos. In the single abuse case that was corroborated by the local veterinarian. We immediately contacted Pasado’s Safe Haven, the same agency used by the Seattle Police Department and the King County Sheriff’s Office. With [Pasado’s] assistance, a case was built and sent to the prosecutor’s office for charges. This was the second chargeable case I can remember in over 16 years.
For several years, we did employ a volunteer ACO, retired undersheriff Jon Zerby. [Zerby] had decades of experience in investigations. During his tenure, his services were rarely utilized.
Training and education are important for the safety of both the community and deputies. Targeting the available training hours appropriately is important. The full ACO training course costs $450, [plus] 10 days at a hotel as well as covering shifts for the employee away at training. The class is aimed at non-law enforcement personnel and covers many things that aren’t relevant here (exotic animals, blood sports) or things that are already known by the deputies. A better solution would be a one-day locally taught class on issues specific to our environment that all of our deputies could attend. Shelter employees and volunteers [could also attend] so we could work together collaboratively. This class, while not currently offered, could be arranged with Pasado’s Safe Haven, and is something I fully support and will work on arranging.
Based on the call volume and number of reported abuse cases over the last four years, I cannot justify a dedicated AOC at this time. Additional personnel is more urgently needed [like] detectives, deputies and dispatchers.
Q: October is Domestic Awareness Month. What assistance has the sheriff’s office provided to victims of domestic abuse/sexual assault? What additional services can the sheriff’s office provide?
Peter: What the sheriff’s office provides- a partnership with SAFE San Juans.
What needs to improve? I have a vision for a special team, trained in crisis response embedded with the department, specifically designed to meet victims where they’re at, and reduce barriers to services. I will take an active role on the local Sexual Assault Response Team to collaborate and advocate for a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. Grow our relationship with Bridgid Collins Family Support Center. Take an active role on the County Law and Justice Council advocating that domestic violence reduction become a priority once again.
Krebs: I’ve provided my deputies with increased Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault training allowing them to provide victim-centered investigations. Investigations are done with empathy and compassion, provided in a safe reporting space, and include additional services to support the survivor, such as Safe San Juans. I have personally relocated survivors to off-island safe houses via the Sheriff’s boat.
Additionally, I volunteer my time as an executive board member with SAFE, helping to craft meaningful policy advocating for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
