According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs (WASPC), “The purpose of law enforcement agency [LEA] accreditation is to professionalize the law enforcement industry by providing a review process for agencies to be certified as operating under industry best practices and standards.” It is granted by WASPC if an LEA has met WASPC standards for a full year.

While undersheriff, Joe Nole was assigned to take the steps needed to get accreditation for the sheriff’s office (JCSO) but he did nothing, and the effort was reassigned. By the end of 2018, the process was about 80 percent completed. In his 2018 campaign for sheriff, Nole promised to finish the job but — once again — he has done nothing in his three-and-a-half years as sheriff. He has claimed he could not complete the process due to the pandemic but he had 15 months to do it before the pandemic hit.

Detective Art Frank criticized Nole’s failure saying 31 other LEAs got accredited while Nole was sheriff and promised to get it done if elected. Sheriff Nole answered that most of those 31 renewed their accreditation, which was much easier than getting a new accreditation. Mike Painter, WASPC Director of Professional Services, told me that during the pandemic, 10 LEAs got first-time accreditation and 39 got renewed accreditation, which is actually more difficult because they must meet standards for four years, not just one. If these other LEAs could do it, why couldn’t Sheriff Nole?

Sheriff Nole has made phony, lame excuses for failing to get accreditation. He either doesn’t understand the process or is too lazy to do the work.

Give someone more professional and honest a chance to do the job right. Support and vote for Art Frank for sheriff.

David Tonkin
PORT TOWNSEND