Service honored: South Grant Co. Chamber hosts law enforcement appreciation luncheon

MATTAWA — The South Grant County Chamber of Commerce hosted its fourth annual National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon on Tuesday at the Wanapum Heritage Center south of Desert Aire, with a keynote address from Wahluke School District Superintendent Andrew Harlow. 

Before Harlow gave his speech, Secretary for the Chamber Pam Thorson spoke about the event.

“I just am thrilled at the turnout today,” Thorson said. “It kind of spawned, the program, because of current situations we have in law enforcement, specifically in the schools, and one of the reasons I'm involved in a couple of organizations is because we're trying to bring under the chamber umbrella everybody working together as a coalition to find solutions to the big problems …Those are long-range problems, but we can't do it if we can't get the agricultural community and the retail community and the churches and the schools and everybody kind of focused and working together. We might all have a different idea of what our path is to get us solutions, but as long as we have a main goal of working in the right direction, I think the next 10 years are going to be pretty fun and that's why I'm involved. So thank you again for coming today.”

Harlow began by complimenting the area’s law enforcement agencies.

“Why we're here today is we want to talk about honoring our local heroes. So these people, along with our firefighters, every day here in Mattawa, Desert Aire and Grant County, I'm not sure what your whys are or why you got into this business, but it amazes me every day when you turn on the TV or hear the stories of what you guys deal with.”

Harlow introduced the subject of his address. 

“I want to talk to you about what's happening now for any kid under the age of 18,” Harlow said. “I want to share this because out of this everyone in this room has an opportunity to make a call to their legislator – the session just started (Jan. 8), and we can ask for them to do one thing and that is bring back bench warrants for kids under the age of 18.”

The current system does not have enough consequences to deter youth from criminal activity, Harlow said. 

“If you're under the age of 18 and you choose to participate in the legal system today, it is optional. If you get a court date and you choose to show up or not show up, it's completely optional … If you actually show up to court and you get a parole officer and you choose to meet with your parole officer, it is optional.”

Harlow clarified he doesn’t want to punish kids just for the sake of punishment.

“if this sounds like, ‘why is the leader of young adults trying to penalize kids?’ what I'm telling you is we're going to be as compassionate as we can and that's what the school’s job is. But we have got to have some fenceposts. We've got to have some guideposts. If we don't have some consequences, what is going to happen?”

Harlow then directed his statements to the table of law enforcement officers.

“I have to believe on your guy's end that you're going to appreciate this and it's going to let you guys do your job as well,” he said.

Harlow talked more specifically about Wahluke. 

“I'm worried about my 15 to 20 kids in the junior high and my 15 to 25 kids at the high school that can't stay out of trouble. And I just need some guideposts, some fenceposts to help us along the way,” Harlow said. “I will say over and over, we do not have bad kids here … we have bored kids.”

Harlow then went over ways the school district is trying to help keep youth out of trouble. The first thing he said was the district would soon be meeting with state legislators to discuss bench warrants and other issues. The second was the district wants a second School Resource Officer to make sure there is always one at or near the district schools. The third was a more abstract goal of helping students find more extracurriculars and positive spaces in the community.

“What would it look like to expand memberships?” Harlow said. “And I don't care if it's at the school. I don't care if it's at our churches, I don't care if it's in our civic groups. What would it look like for 25% enrollment to increase?... Let's continue this so a year from now, each one of you feels that our community is continuing to grow, because we aren't going to arrest ourselves out of this. Or, I tell my principles, we aren't going to suspend ourselves out of this.”

Mattawa Police Department School Resource Officer Alex Zesati spoke on his ongoing plans in the school district, saying he is looking into starting a Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program in the schools. Zesati also said he agrees that a second School Resource Officer is needed. 

Harlow ended his address by asking event attendees and community members to support law enforcement officers with positive feedback in person and on social media, donations, and other ways of thanking the officers for their service. 

“Thank you again, for all of your amazing day-to-day work,” he said.

Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com. Download the Columbia Basin Herald app on iOS and Android.

    Law Enforcement officers from Mattawa and the surrounding area of South Grant County introduce themselves during the National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon at the Wanapum Heritage Center on Tuesday.
  

    Mattawa Police Department School Resource Officer Alex Zesati speaks during the National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon about his ongoing work in the Wahluke School District helping students stay out of trouble.
  

    National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon attendees network before Tuesday afternoon’s event, which was held by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce.
  

    Law enforcement officers were the first to get food during Tuesday’s National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon at the Wanapum Heritage Center, held by the South Grant County Chamber of Commerce.
  

    Attendees of the National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day Luncheon walk into the Wanapum Heritage Center on Tuesday to celebrate and honor law enforcement from South Grant County.
  

    Law enforcement officers from across South Grant County and nearby areas stand inside the Wanapum Heritage Center on National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.