GRANITE FALLS — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office’s contract with Granite Falls started Saturday, marking the end of the city’s own police force.
One of the five Granite Falls officers, Keith Poteet, was hired by the county, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. Ireton said she couldn’t say how many of the officers applied.
One other Granite Falls officer resigned and has since been hired by another department, City Clerk Darla Reese said.
The remaining three officers are no longer employed by the city. That includes Pat White, a former sergeant who was demoted in August after reportedly obtaining a fake police chief identification card.
White is one of more than 40 police officers in Snohomish County who are on the “Brady list,” meaning their credibility could be questioned if they were called as a witness in court.
The Granite Falls City Council voted in December to sign a contract for police services from the county. Sheriff’s Sgt. David Bowman began serving as police chief in January.
In addition to Bowman, the sheriff’s office has assigned four deputies to Granite Falls, Ireton said.
The former Granite Falls police chief, Dennis Taylor, took a job in Lake Stevens in 2013.
In addition to policing unincorporated areas, the sheriff’s office also contracts to provide deputies to local cities including Stanwood, Darrington and Sultan.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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