Despite what Washington State Democratic Representatives and Senators would tell you, we have a crime problem here. More precisely, we have a criminal recidivism problem.
In fact, since October, the Seattle Police Department has lost two officers and the King County Sheriff’s Department has lost a Deputy, all due to career criminals who were on probation. Each and every one of these criminals had broken the rules of their probation numerous times, yet because of the attitude of the Washington State Department of Corrections, these violations were let slide with minimal, if any punishment.
Local ABC affiliate published an article on this problem
Three local police officers have been killed recently, and one thread links all three deaths. In each case, the suspect was a convict on probation, and each one supervised by the State Department of Corrections.
KOMO 4 News tried repeatedly to get the Department of Corrections to talk to us, even sending them a list of our questions.
They declined.
A whistleblower came forward, risking everything to tell us what’s wrong at Department of Corrections.
“They’re hiding everything. Everything’s under a cloud,” the source said.
Our source claims the Department of Corrections’ failure to hold three career felons accountable is the reason three local police officers are dead.
Officers Beth Nowak and Joselito Barber were killed in violent car wrecks. King County Deputy Steve Cox was shot by a felon on probation.
“They died for nothing,” the source said. “My department could have done more.”
Last December, King County Sheriff’s Deputy Steve Cox was gunned down by Raymond Porter, a known gang member and drug dealer on probation.
“It needn’t have happened,” said Joan Cox, Steve Cox’s mother. “It shouldn’t have happened. That young man should not have been on the streets.”
“We’re angry,” added his father Ron. “We’re starting to ask questions as to whether this could have been avoided.”
Porter had been out of prison just four months when he shot Deputy Cox. And DOC’s own documents show that time and time again, they let Porter violate his probation with only minor consequences.”
Documents show he failed repeatedly to report to his community corrections officer.
He flunked drug tests, and confessed to using alcohol too. And never entered court ordered drug treatment.
King County Sheriff Sue Rahr is demanding answers.
We asked her: “If a felon on supervision is failing drug tests, is that a red flag?” Sheriff Rahr answered: “Absolutely.”
DOC records show Porter failed to report at least six times. Each time, his probation officer sent letters or used the telephone to try to find him.
No one from DOC went to his home. And Porter’s file shows when he tested dirty for drugs, his toughest punishment was a verbal warning.
As was stated at the beginning of the article, the DOC is hiding behind their positions, which are funded by my tax dollars, and not answering anyone’s questions, not even those posed by the Chief of Police in the largest city in the state, or by the Sheriff of the largest county in the state.
They are playing ostrich and waiting for the public to forget that it all happened. On my dime.
If (Barely) Governore Gregiore were half the leader the leftards in this state who worship her thought she was, she’d have demanded answers from the DOC or had their jobs, and this insanity would end.