Samuel White, inset, and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Department of Public Safety. Photos from PGST
The North Kitsap Herald interviews Samuel White, a member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, who serves as the new police chief for the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe in Washington:
Herald: Can you tell me about your department — number of officers, type of equipment, etc.? White: It’s a total of 10. That includes the chief and the support specialist, one sergeant and one lieutenant. The rest are patrol. Right now, it’s a small, small agency, so our living space … is very limited. We’ve got very good patrol cars. We operate on the standard equipment that every other law enforcement agencies operate with here, as far as personal protective equipment for each officer’s standard equipment. Herald: What are some of the challenges you confront regularly in providing law enforcement on the reservation? White: One of the challenges is, like all law enforcement agencies, 2 percent of the people cause 90 percent of the problems. That, and being in a confined area, it imposes some very challenging aspects. Meaning, the jurisdiction is limited … If [suspects] go out to another jurisdictional area, it makes it harder to track people down. The casino adds another element of trouble as well, with the amount of traffic. It adds a different realm of security and enforcement. All in all, it’s just the same as other law enforcement agencies. Just some of it is more confined and makes it more visible, I guess, in the eyes of the community, so sometimes problems appear bigger than they actually are.Get the Story:
Q&A: Port Gamble S’Klallam Police Chief Samuel White (The North Kitsap Herald 4/22)
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