Snohomish County Sheriff Community Advisory Committee

Program Description and Overview

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Community Advisory Committee was established in 2021 under the leadership of Sheriff Adam Fortney. The Community Advisory Committee is a group of community stakeholders who serve as a resource to the Snohomish County Sheriff and his or her team in understanding and responding to public safety issues facing the Sheriff’s Office and community.

The Sheriff seeks to leverage the knowledge, perspectives, and civic spirit of the Committee members to enhance how the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office engages and interacts with the community, how the Office delivers law enforcement and crime prevention services to the community, to solicit input via review of certain complaints against Sheriff’s Office employees, and to assist with use of force policy review. Conversely, members will become more knowledgeable about law enforcement in their community and assist the Sheriff in promoting public trust and educating the community at large about the function and role of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

The Committee is not a commission and therefore is not regulated as such within the framework of Snohomish County governance. The Committee does not have oversight or authority over law enforcement matters. The Committee is created to act as a community resource for the Sheriff in the formation of strategies, development of community policing concepts, and increasing public awareness. The Committee is a valuable component of the Sheriff’s Office community policing strategy while also supporting the agency’s core values of integrity, dignity, commitment, and pride.

Members of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Community Advisory Committee are volunteers and not financially compensated for their service to the Office.

Membership Selection

The Snohomish County Sheriff Community Advisory Committee consists of ten to fifteen individuals who reside, work, attend school, or volunteer in the county of Snohomish. The members are selected by the Sheriff based on their direct commitment to and involvement with the county of Snohomish and serve a 3-year term. Committee members are civilians, not law enforcement professionals, with the goal that they can provide important external perspectives and insight about law enforcement and crime prevention issues.

Members may serve up to two consecutive 3-year terms. Members must agree to a criminal background check. Any felony convictions will be subject to a case by case review. Committee appointments and removals shall be at the sole discretion of the Snohomish County Sheriff or his/her designee.

Duties and Responsibilities

Promote a climate of public trust between the community and the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.
Partner in discussions with the Sheriff and other Office personnel regarding the Snohomish County Sheriff’s services and priorities to improve transparency and collaboration.
Review and provide input to the Sheriff on completed citizen complaint fact findings and administrative internal investigations involving sheriff employees associated with alleged bias-based policing, excessive force, and false arrest.
Promote public awareness, and act as a sounding board, for proposed and ongoing law enforcement services, programs, and priorities.
Participate in annual Office of Professional Accountability briefing on citizen complaints and use of force incidents.
Assist the Sheriff’s Office with community outreach, public education, and recruitment efforts.
Treat other Committee members and Office personnel with dignity and respect.
Regularly attend scheduled Committee meetings (anticipated to meet quarterly).
Occasionally serve as panelists during police promotional examinations.

In addition to regularly scheduled Committee meetings, members are encouraged to attend Sheriff’s Office events (i.e. new police/corrections officer swearing-in ceremonies, promotional ceremonies, award ceremonies, youth outreach events, etc.), participate in community engagement events (i.e. coffee with a cop, neighborhood walks, shop with a cop, etc.), and participate in one police ride-along annually.

Committee Member Code of Conduct

Members of the Snohomish County Sheriff Community Advisory Committee may be associated with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office while in the community. As such, Committee members are expected to act in a professional manner, obey all laws, and be above reproach in their moral and ethical behavior.

Committee members shall not become involved in relationships with individuals known or believed to be involved in criminal activity.

Committee members shall not publicly criticize or ridicule the Sheriff’s Office, its policies, or personnel by speech, writing, or other expression. Such conduct significantly undermines effective police-community relations.

Committee members are expected to help promote a climate of trust between the community and the Office, while advising the Sheriff on activities designed to improve the quality of life for all members of the community.

Committee members are not to utilize the meetings or their membership on the Sheriff’s Advisory Committee to facilitate or promote personal agendas. Committee members must remain professional and courteous during community events, meetings and discussions with other members of the Committee and/or members of the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office.

Committee members shall maintain confidentiality and may not release or divulge Office matters or information without the explicit consent of the Snohomish County Sheriff or his/her designee.

Apply to the Snohomish County Sheriff Community Advisory Committee

There are currently vacant positions on the committee for 2023. To apply, please send the following documents to contact.sheriff@snoco.org

Current Resume, including community involvement
Completed Application
One page Letter of Interest
Three Professional References

Agency Overview

Sheriff Adam Fortney

The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Adam Fortney, serves almost one million county residents in unincorporated and incorporated Snohomish County. We keep our communities safe through partnerships, responding to emergencies, investigating crimes, proactive policing, and corrections. All of our employees strive to emphasize the Office’s four core values: Integrity, Dignity, Commitment and Pride.

Undersheriff Ian Huri

Snohomish County deputy sheriffs patrol a diverse environment - from city to country - and perform a wide variety of jobs - from deterring crime to conducting investigations. The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office employs over 800 employees in four different bureaus: Special Investigations, Operations, Administrative Services and Corrections. All four bureau chiefs, as well as the Office of Professional Accountability, are under the direction of Undersheriff Ian Huri.

Chief Scott Robertson

The Operations Bureau, led by Chief Scott Robertson, oversees our patrol divisions at the North, South and East precincts, as well as all of the contract cities in Snohomish County that we provide police services for: Snohomish Police Department, Stanwood Police Department, Granite Falls Police Department, Darrington Police Department, Sultan Police Department, Gold Bar Police Department, and the Town of Index. The Operations Bureau also encompasses our School Resource Officer Unit, Transit Police Unit and Airport Unit located at Paine Field.

Chief Mark Richardson

The Special Operations Bureau, led by Chief Mark Richardson, encompasses investigation teams such as the major crimes unit, special investigations unit, sex crimes, courthouse security unit, emergency management, policy accreditation and special operations: search and rescue, motors unit, dive and marine, bomb, SWAT, collision investigations, honor guard and more.

Chief Norm Link

The Administrative Services Bureau, led by Chief Norm Link, includes our Records, Civil and Public Disclosure units, and our Personnel Development Division in charge of training, recruiting, hiring and polygraph exams for new employees. Administrative Services also encompasses our law enforcement and corrections finance departments, inmate accounts, as well as our civil unit, communications and technology division, and our evidence unit.

Chief Jamie Kane

The Corrections Bureau, led by Chief Jamie Kane, includes over 360 employees serving in module operations, booking, classification, counseling, records, facilities, training, inmate transportation, visitation and inmate release. The Corrections Bureau has a full-time medical division with a doctor, nursing specialists – providers, registered nurses, LPNs, medical assistants, mental health providers, and dental services.

Major Alonzo Downing

The Corrections Bureau Major Alonzo Downing serves as second in command for the Snohomish County Jail. The Major oversees operations for the division, including implementation of programs, procedures and policies - and oversees all service contract developments within the bureau.