Upton will make needed changes

Late last month, the Herald Editorial Board published a tepid endorsement of our interim Sheriff Ty Trenary for Snohomish County Sheriff. (“Vote in Ty Trenary for sheriff.”) Many of us think that endorsement was not wise.

The Sheriff Department, while under the control of our interim Sheriff, Ty Trenary, failed to properly and timely respond to a public records request by the mother of a deceased corrections inmate, which resulted in a penalty of $95,000.

That was just one of many deaths associated with Snohomish County Corrections in the past 5?½ years! These deaths are a result of a lack of proper management of our jail. Three of these were since July 2013 on Trenary’s watch!

Taking patrol officers out of patrol and placing them in charge of an operation that requires a whole set of skills and training that they lack is foolish management and can only result in difficulties and in this case disaster.

Ty Trenary has contracted with an Illinois firm to conduct a study of our county’s Sheriff Department and tell Ty Trenary how and where deputies should be assigned. This is being done at a cost of $35,000; money that could be better spent elsewhere.

A sheriff with management ability would consult with the deputies who collectively have enormously more knowledge of our needs than any outside, out-of-state consulting firm.

Trenary’s solution to the home robbery and personal property crimes is to require the victims to report them online. This seems only to create an electronic record that can be ignored.

Voters, please take the election of our Snohomish County Sheriff as a serious matter, support and vote for Jim Upton for Snohomish County Sheriff. Jim Upton has the drive, desire and ability to make needed changes in our county’s Sheriff Department.

Clyde Franklin

Everett