Despite the Blue State sheriff's views as one of the “narly least policy states in the country,” his red guide county has seen success and has increased. They say they are not falling into the statewide trend of violent crime.
“Washington is the least policed state in our entire country, and sadly, our state's crime rate has risen to danger over the past five years,” Kititus County Sheriff Clay Myers said. He wrote in his speech on the county's public safety.
“Thankfully, Kittitas County was against this trend.”
Myers spoke with Fox News Digital following his address, explaining that a statewide law enforcement shortage plays a major role in the crime issue.
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Kittitas County Sheriff Claymeyers says the crime is in conservative counties compared to the rest of Washington's liberal counties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
“Unfortunately, as a state, we have a very low ratio of law enforcement to citizens. And here in our county, our community supports law enforcement. And we “Local legislative bodies support law enforcement. Correlation with more crime,” Myers said.
Myers said there are many studies comparing the proportion of law enforcement in the community and its impact on crime.
“Washington is very low, but when it comes to the nation itself, we are in the top three when it comes to the ratio of law enforcement to members of our community. We are under 2%, and we are still a small number.”
Myers said the number of reported crimes remained flat in Kittitas County in recent years despite the county's population growth.
“I think the main reason is the composition of our community. And our citizens aren't superior to other citizens. The government here isn't superior to other governments. . A combination of small things that really make a difference,” Myers said.
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Police will respond to an incident near Washington State University on December 15, 2022. (Derek rocked for Fox News digital)
“Our community tends to be less tolerant of crime. They are not simply tolerant of it, unfortunately there are many communities, but it's a bit paralyzed by many crimes. ”
Myers said there is hope in his county that law enforcement will do everything they can to deal with crime, answer calls and make a difference.
“We want a safe community. Our legislative department, our judicial department, is very supportive. They want people to move to a safe community. People are us I want to support them, live and recreate in a safe community.”
More than 55% of voters in Kititus County voted for President Donald Trump in November, and Trump's opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, received more than 57% in the 2024 presidential election defeated. State voting record.
Myers added that there are hurdles to overcome when it comes to budgets, but he said he was fortunate to have local government support.
“Our local government supports us, and that's where the difference was made. We can have more law enforcement there. We are, policing the community. I understand that we are part of the community. The office means we can get to know them,” Myers said.
Although crime rates have not risen in the county, Myers said deputies and detectives are “working hard and will carry out more traffic enforcement than ever.”
“The 2024 detention arrests have increased by 12% since 2023, almost double the arrests five years ago. Our office has sent more cases to the prosecutor's office than ever before. “We're in our county,” Myers said at his address.
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“Both Kittitas County citizens and elected officials have chosen to make this a place where the crimes have been charged and public safety is a priority.”
Myers added that the department's service call remains relatively flat and that he says a lot about the community.
“The number of calls we receive and respond to is relatively stable. It hasn't changed significantly over five years. It's a very significant number for me. It's one of the best numbers. .
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Kititus County Sheriff Myers highlighted the challenges the state faces as “the nation's least policed” correlated with rising crime rates over the past five years. (Kittitas County Sheriff Facebook)
Myers is blessed with him having good relationships with most sheriffs in Washington and many of the Western states, but many of him have the community and local government support that his county has. He said he was not lucky to get it.
“I'm not trying to criticise anyone here, but they don't have the support of all legislative departments, and that's where the funds come from. That's enough of them on the streets. The number of law enforcement agencies, the right number of detectives, the right number of forensic support is something they desperately want,” Myers said.
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In January, Bob Ferguson became the state's first new governor for the first time in 12 years.
“We face real challenges as a nation and as a people,” Ferguson said after taking the job vow. “Our state is affordable for many Washingtonians. We rank 50th in the number of law enforcement officers, last, per capita.”
Ferguson also vowed to address public safety needs across the state, supporting the $100 million proposal to help police recruit more officers.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Ferguson's office for comment.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
