205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 02/22/2022 - Sheriff Myers is hearing concerns in our community over crime and enforcement trends seen around the state and nation. He released this statement today:
You only need to watch the news for a short time to see examples of increased violence, reduced enforcement and prosecution, and the release of violent offenders who continue to commit violent crimes. As if these things were not bad enough, some of our media (national, local, social) feel it is beneficial to misrepresent the problem in both context and scale. This is generally followed by the assignment of blame to Liberals or Conservatives as a whole, furthering the political divisiveness choking our nation. As Sheriff, I hear the concerns of our community related to video clips of people robbing stores in broad daylight, during business hours and walking out with stolen property right in front of security and/or the police. They see clips of criminal assaults occurring on the street or in parks as dozens of people record the attack on their phones. They ask what is being done about it. Do these events occur? Yes. Do they occur across all jurisdictions? Of course not. I do not believe the residents of this community would simply watch and record the attack of an innocent person. We here do not look at crime as some form of entertainment. We do what we can to protect each other. Nothing in this community has changed with respect to our view on criminal activity. Robbery, Theft and Assault are still worthy of arrest and prosecution. While changes in some state laws have created challenges in addressing the prevention of crime, the laws that grant us the authority to protect the public are still in effect. We still have the tools to separate and hold accountable those intent on doing harm, and we will continue to use those tools. The actions required for any community to achieve public safety are few. The complications begin when the those who violate these ideals are not held accountable as individuals. We work in a community where most people do the right thing and expect the same from others. We will continue to hold accountable those who violate the law and believe our community will continue to stand with us as we do. Clay Myers, Sheriff The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Mission, Vision and Values: MISSION: To protect all people, keep the peace, and uphold the Constitution of the United States. VISION: A physical infrastructure and agency cultural which allows us to provide the same level of service to our community that we would provide to our own family. CORE VALUES: Integrity, Trust, Community.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsettchristopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us509-962-7525