Sheriff Paul Pastor

I have important information for every citizen of Pierce County - - - and especially those residing in unincorporated areas. The information is contained in the results of an intensive 8-month performance audit conducted by Police Service Advisors, a consulting firm that conducts reviews of police agencies nationwide.

The performance audit showed that the Pierce County Sheriff's Department needs to do three things:

(1) Make minor changes in deployment,

(2) improve systems for tactical and strategic information, and

(3) hire more personnel.

The people conducting the audit indicated that we are using existing resources pretty efficiently and that we have adopted a number of innovative methods for getting the most out of the resources we currently have.

A long article on the front page of the Tacoma News Tribune described the results of the audit.

This information is particularly important because it is provided by a neutral source, which reviewed the agency under the voter initiated County Performance Audit system.

Performance Audits are designed to make County agencies more efficient and more effective.

I welcome the information that will help the people in this Department do a better job for the citizens of Pierce County. We need to achieve some efficiencies internally and we intend to step forward to do so. But, more significantly, the audit clearly indicates that the Sheriff's Department needs to increase its resources in order to meet the demand of a growing population.

I welcome the news but I also recognize that obtaining the resources that the audit recommends will not be an easy task. We will need to work in close partnership with the Office of the County Executive, the Pierce County Council and the citizens of the County to meet the resource challenges contained in the audit's recommendations.

This news confirms my belief that the men and women of this Department have done a tremendous job despite too few commissioned deputies, a scarcity of supervisory and support staff and less than adequate information systems. I am not saying that we have always performed perfectly. Even with limited staffing we should always look for ways to do more and better and to increase efficiencies. But as the people conducting the audit complimented the work of Department personnel and 'their commitment to effective law enforcement in Pierce County . . .'

The Pierce County Sheriff's Department stands ready and motivated to work to follow the Performance Audit's recommendations. We can do so - - - and thereby become more effective, more responsive and more efficient - - - only if we have your help and support. I invite you to learn more about the Performance Audit recommendations. Watch this website for further information. And please know that I welcome your input on ways in which we can obtain the resources necessary to follow the audit's recommendations and serve you better.