Congresswoman Kim Schrier celebrates $660,000 in federal funding for the Chelan County Sheriff's Office

By WILL NILLES
Ward Media Reporter

WENATCHEE – At a June 7 press conference in Chelan County Superior Court, Congresswoman Kim Schrier (D-WA) announced a substantial $660,000 federal investment to strengthen the county Sheriff's Office from Chelan. The Washington state representative expressed optimism that the funds will help increase transparency within the department while simultaneously improving safety measures for law enforcement officers.

The goal of this successfully funded project is to equip the Chelan County Sheriff's Office with the technology, training and resources needed to facilitate the full use of body cameras by law enforcement officers .

“Body cameras are more than just pieces of technology,” Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison said of his enthusiasm for this investment in police accountability. “They are instruments of transparency and trust. Body cameras ensure that everyone is held accountable for their actions, including us in uniform.

Douglas County Sheriff Kevin W. Morris attended the event with the Axon body camera system that will most likely be used by the Chelan County Sheriff's Office, demonstrating its functions and capabilities. With his help, Rep. Schrier was able to quickly equip a body-worn camera and display its live feed feature, which could be used by law enforcement to better understand situations as they unfold.

Rep. Schrier emphasized not only accountability but also community safety, saying, “one of the added benefits of body cameras is that when you have that functionality, [body camera] It’s a de-escalation tool because people don’t want to behave badly.” Schrier added, “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community…and so I want everyone to feel safe and body cameras are part of that.” »

Congresswoman Schrier helped secure this significant federal investment through Community Project Funding (CPF), a federal grant program that is part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Economic Development Initiative. In the U.S. House of Representatives, the CPF allows representatives to request funding for specific projects in their district, ensuring a direct flow of funds from the federal government to local communities.

Representative Schrier explained the impressive effectiveness of this funding of community projects: “It's a way for us to not pass the money through the state, through a long bureaucracy to get to the projects, but to go straight to what matters most to the community. »

According to Sheriff Morrison, “it will take a few months to get [Chelan County Sheriff’s Office] operational as we move forward. But, once the training and resources are fully operational, Morrison seeks to “post photos and videos of our instruments that our deputies are handling in order to show the community what our deputies are doing…the community should really see what they gets. back in return.

Through programs like CPF, Rep. Schrier has already secured direct federal funding for other important community projects, such as local food banks, school health clinics, and improvements to a local senior center .

“We get between 10 and 15 projects a year…and some of them rise to the top, and this is definitely one of them,” Rep. Schrier commented on the importance of protecting the community through better documentation and police accountability.

Chelan County Commissioner Shon Smith closed the event with an optimistic attitude about the implementation of body cameras, saying, “They could reduce the use of force in incidents…and they could even prevent an escalation of an already dangerous situation. Smith looked to the future and concluded, “I hope to see this new program enhance the Chelan County Sheriff's Office's reputation as a leader in community policing in our region.” And I hope it will also make our streets safer for our citizens and for the community as a whole.

Will Nilles: (509) 731-3211 or [email protected]