Adam Fortney calls in a drivers license during a traffic stop in Everett on Dec. 31, 2019. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)                                Adam Fortney calls in a drivers license during a traffic stop in Everett on Dec. 31, 2019. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

Adam Fortney calls in a drivers license during a traffic stop in Everett on Dec. 31, 2019. (Kevin Clark / The Herald) Adam Fortney calls in a drivers license during a traffic stop in Everett on Dec. 31, 2019. (Kevin Clark / The Herald)

No more ‘black boxes’ in patrol cars, new sheriff says

The tech was meant to promote traffic safety. Sheriff Adam Fortney said he trusts his deputies.

EVERETT — Snohomish County’s largest law enforcement agency will no longer use an innovative tool to track how its patrol cars are being used.

Sheriff Adam Fortney said he ended the contract on New Year’s Day for telematics systems, or “black boxes,” that were installed in the department’s vehicles by the previous administration.

Fortney’s predecessor Ty Trenary implemented the program in 2017 to curb injuries and deaths from officer-related crashes. The devices captured information such as vehicle location, direction of travel, speed, braking and airbag deployment, as well as the use of emergency lights and seat belts.

The idea was to use the data to reinforce good driving habits and identify training issues.

Fortney said he could respect the message of safety, but he didn’t agree with the use of a system that gave deputies the feeling “Big Brother” was watching them.

“There was a negative connotation with the black boxes to the ground-level troops, every step of the way,” he said.

Fortney said he trusted his deputies to do their job, without that extra oversight.

“They go through an extensive background process to get hired,” he said in a December interview with The Daily Herald. “They go through the academy. We give them a badge and gun and … they have the authority to take people’s liberties away, which is a huge deal for me. I am going to trust them to drive their car.”

The sheriff’s office had 219 patrol cars equipped with the technology, and they cost about $12,000 per month to monitor, sheriff’s spokeswoman Shari Ireton said. They’ll remain installed, but they’ve effectively been turned off as a result of the contract ending, she said.

Fortney said he plans to divert the money toward new green jumpsuits for deputies, as a morale booster. They cost hundreds of dollars each.

Previously, deputies had to buy their own if they wanted the upgrade to a warmer, more comfortable outfit.

The telematics system was part of numerous traffic-related reforms undertaken by Trenary. In addition, the former sheriff tightened pursuit policy, formed a driving review board and increased safety training.

Driving is one of the riskiest parts of policing. Between 2007 and 2016, nearly 40 percent of officer deaths were the result of crashes, second only to gun violence, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

In Snohomish County, a grim reminder of driving’s dangers came in April 2015, when deputy John Sadro ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup truck. A construction worker, pinned between the truck and a parked car, eventually lost his legs. The county settled a civil lawsuit for $14.3 million, and Sadro pleaded guilty to reckless driving and reckless endangerment, gross misdemeanors.

Trenary and his undersheriff, Rob Beidler, gave credit to the reforms when the sheriff’s office saw a decrease in the number of crashes and injuries involving deputies. The changes garnered national awards, too, from the Governors Highway Safety Association and Destination Zero, an initiative sponsored by the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund.

As union president, Fortney debated with sheriff’s office brass about how the data would be used. It was a subject he and the previous administration could never agree on.

This week Fortney also claimed the equipment didn’t always work. One time, a deputy crashed and airbags were deployed, but no alert was sent out from the telematics system, he said. The alert is supposed to be sent to sheriff’s supervisors so they can help coordinate a response.

The sheriff said he could see how the data could be useful in some instances. The cost wasn’t justified, though, he said.

“I don’t think the value in $12,000 a month is there whatsoever,” he said.

Previously, the former undersheriff, Beidler, said the telematics program could pay for itself. The data could be used to help reduce idle time by more than an hour per vehicle, per shift, and save on fuel and maintenance costs.

Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.

This story has been modified to more accurately define the fleet of cars equipped with the telematics system.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.