I met Art Frank in 2018. I support Art for Sheriff because his experience, knowledge, skills, and work ethic will make him a much more effective sheriff than Joe Nole.

Art has worked in law enforcement for 43 years. In Los Angeles County he was a decorated patrol officer, detective, and S.W.A.T. officer, receiving a Medal of Valor, Medal of Heroism, and Officer of the Year awards. Since 2015, in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO), he has been a patrol deputy, detective, Chief Criminal Deputy, and Undersheriff. Art is a volunteer with Quilcene Fire Rescue, an elected fire commissioner for Fire Protection District 2, and serves on the JeffCom 911 board.

Jefferson County suffers from an affordable housing crisis and increasing crime due in part to drug abuse, mental health issues, and homelessness that have raised concerns about personal safety in schools and when going about our daily lives. Art understands that conditions and culture in a large metropolis differ significantly from those in a rural community and is utilizing his background to effectively serve our county. Despite Art’s efforts, the sheriff’s office has stood still, stuck in an outdated model of policing that has proven unresponsive to our community’s most pressing concerns.

Sheriff Nole has failed to 1) attain Accreditation while over 30 Washington law enforcement agencies acquired it; 2) complete a strategic plan the DOJ says is necessary for effective law enforcement; and 3) fully correct major deficiencies in evidence administration uncovered in a review by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

We need a new sheriff who will update and professionalize the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, innovating to enable local deputies to protect our county’s residents and businesses more effectively, solve crimes more efficiently, and support people in crisis more compassionately.

Vote for Art Frank.

David Tonkin
PORT TOWNSEND