Law Enforcement on Shaw Island

As written by Al Wilding, SJCSO Spec Deputy.

One of the most frequently asked questions that I get is, “Are you a regular Deputy and can you give out traffic tickets?” In short, yes to both parts.

I have had over twenty-eight years in law enforcement, starting out as a King County Deputy Sheriff in 1951, and retiring in 1980 as a Sergeant with the Seattle Police Department. Prior to finally realizing a life long dream of being a police officer I had many jobs, one of which was as a cab driver in Seattle. In that role I had more than my share of traffic tickets making illegal left turns in downtown Seattle in an attempt to pick up fares. For that reason I have always had some compassion for a person on the receiving end of tickets and the financial hardship that that entails. That’s not to say that I don’t write any tickets, because I do. This past year I gave several oral warnings to violators and referred two cases to the Prosecuting Attorney for charging. I also investigated a couple of burglaries involving an apprehension of the suspects, a couple of incidents of suspicious circumstances, and a couple of deaths. As a representative of Sheriff Bill Cumming, I am sworn in as a Special Deputy. Meaning that I don’t pull regular shifts, I get a token wage, and respond to calls from the Sheriff’s Dispatch in Friday Harbor when necessary, unless I happen upon something that requires my presence then I go into service.

For those of you that are curious, I receive $100. a month which Lotte grabs for her grocery account. I put in an average of 90 hours a month in service and ‘on the air’ with SJC Dispatch or writing reports. At that rate I’m making a little more than a dollar an hour and have to furnish my own car and gas! When I first went into law enforcement and was appointed a permanent King County Deputy back in the old days, I took a cut in pay from being a cab driver! ( KCSO at that time was about $1.50 an hour ) It never has paid too well to be in law enforcement compared to many other professions. In the case of a physical arrest of an individual, or something requiring more than one officer to take care of a situation, I can call for a back-up and another Deputy is sent over from another island by private boat.

Another frequently asked question is why I don’t wear a uniform. I do have a hat and a jacket identifying me as a Deputy, which seems to suffice when dealing with off-islanders. As I don’t pull any regular shifts in a patrol car, a uniform would be superfluous. I also don’t carry one of my guns, which would also be unnecessary. If I respond to an injured animal incident, I will take along a pistol, my .22 caliber rifle, or my shotgun.

One of my other duties associated with being a Special Deputy, is that of Deputy Coroner when that duty arises. I spent the last several years on the Seattle Police Department in the Ballard Sector, known throughout the city as having the largest number of deaths that require a police presence. As the responding Sergeant, it was my responsibility to make a judgment as to whether to call the Coroner or the detectives for further investigation, or to call a funeral home to respond to the residence. In either event the Coroner’s Office was contacted. My duties here in San Juan County are about the same.

Washington State law requires that any death not attended by a physician be investigated by a police agency whether it is under suspicious circumstances or not. In most cases a physician that had been treating the individual is contacted if it was determined by the initial investigation that the death occurred from ‘natural causes’. If that Doctor is willing to sign a death certificate, the person’s remains can be released to a funeral home for disposition, otherwise an autopsy is necessary to determine the cause of death. If an individual is suffering from a terminal illness a legal form can be obtained by the consulting physician to avoid the police presence and allow the family to deal directly with a funeral home when the time comes. In the case of an accident where the individual is taken to a hospital where they die later, an autopsy is conducted to determine the actual cause of death and anything that might have contributed to the accident.

The time and cause of death can be a critical issue not only in the case of a homicide, but in the case of multiple deaths or some kind of civil issue that could arise from that death.