The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Dear Editor,

In 2015, I was a Corrections Sergeant at the Walla Walla County Jail. During that time, the Commander position became vacant and the Sheriff’s Office was trying to find a qualified person to fill the position. I was asked if I had thought about advancing my career at the jail. I asked if they were talking about applying for the Commander position. The response I was given was yes. My response was “that job takes more experience than the seven years I have.” At that time, I had successfully graduated two corrections academies, completed the first level supervisor’s course, was the training coordinator and FTO, a Taser Instructor, been involved in multiple trainings with the department, was respected by staff and inmates, and a Sergeant for over three years. I knew that the Jail Commander position required much more training and experience than I had at that time.

So how much more important is it for the Sheriff to have advanced knowledge, experience, and training in law enforcement? The liability, responsibility, and decision-making are monumental and require more than just a passing fancy for or dabbling in law enforcement. For that very reason, I believe Mark Crider is then man that will continue to move the Sheriff’s Office forward. Mark Crider has an overabundance of instructor certifications, knowledge in law enforcement, and has made hard decisions. He is well respected at the Sheriff’s Office, and the majority of the Deputies are supporting his campaign. Mark Crider is the leader we want to work for!

One of my first interactions with Mark happened on one of his days off. He was returning a patrol vehicle to the Burbank area and asked if I could give him a ride back to town. When I arrived halfway through my shift, I saw Undersheriff Crider in complete uniform. I asked him if he wanted me to take him to his residence and he stated “No, I’m here for you, I’m your backup.” This made a huge difference on how I could patrol the remaining hours of my shift. We searched for warrants and searched an abandoned home due to past incidents. These tasks would not have been possible to complete safely if Undersheriff Crider decided to just go home for the day.  

Please support the deputies and support Mark Crider for Sheriff.

Deputy Jared Brown

Walla Walla