Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives!

Your police department is working hard to ensure public safety during this challenging time. We want to emphasize education over enforcement during the Governor’s “stay at home” order. We are taking guidance from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and our regional law enforcement partners. Law enforcement’s primary role is to help educate people about complying with orders to stay at home. We are not being asked to detain, arrest, ticket, or establish checkpoints for compliance. We view our role as law enforcement officials during this period as education. Educating residents on keeping themselves, their families, and, most importantly, the rest of the community safe, especially our vulnerable populations.

We understand some people need to carry out essential services related to:

1. Safety and security
2. Food, water, shelter
3. Health and medical
4. Energy (power and fuel)
5. Communications
6. Transportation

Our community has shown it understands the severity of the situation. We are all doing what we can to keep ourselves, families, and neighbors safe and healthy. When officers encounter people not complying with an order, we will remind them, as appropriate, of the recommendations and restrictions. No law enforcement agencies have any desire to make any arrests or take anybody to jail for violations. Rumors of individuals or businesses needing passes or licenses to conduct essential services are false. Rest assured, we will continue to serve you every minute of every day, and we will always enforce the laws that keep people safe. Do your part and Stay Home, Stay Safe, Save Lives!

“We are all doing what we can to keep ourselves, families, and neighbors safe and healthy.”