The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON-The Columbia County Sheriff Office has hired David Walling and Riley Conahan as new deputies for the county.

David Walling was raised in the Ellensburg area, graduating from Kittitas High School in 2014. He served as a missionary in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for around six months before turning his focus to Pastoral Ministry, receiving a B.A. from Northwest University in 2018.

After graduation, he began looking into Law Enforcement as a career. He was hired at the Benton County Correctional Facility in June 2020 as a Correction officer until his lay-off due to county budget cuts.

Walling said he is looking forward to working for the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Joe Helm said with the proper training Walling could be the next school resource officer in Dayton schools.

Riley Conahan graduated from Warden High School in 2017. He attended Big Bend Community College before joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 2018. Riley worked in motor transportation during the two years he spent on active duty. He now serves in the Marine Reserve Corp.

Conahan said he enjoys helping people. He served as a volunteer firefighter in Spokane but realized law enforcement would be a better fit for him after talking it over with deputies in the Spokane Sheriff's Office.

"I am excited about being in Law Enforcement and being out in the community," Conahan said.

Walling and Conahan have been accepted to attend the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission's Basic Law Enforcement Academy, Washington's mandated training academy for all city and county entry-level peace officers in the state. The courses begin on April 7 and will end on August 11 in Burien Wash.

In the meantime, the new deputies are familiarizing themselves with department policies, radio procedures. They are also taking the time getting to know people, and places in the community.

With the addition of Walling and Conahan, the Sheriff's Office has increased the number of patrol deputies in Columbia County to six. Sheriff Helm is considering whether to fill the vacant Chief Deputy position. If the position is not filled, the funding can be used to hire a seventh road deputy.