GCSO seeking citizen use of force committee volunteers

EPHRATA – The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a volunteer outside of active law enforcement to serve on its independent use-of-force investigative team.  

“The independent investigation teams that look into police use of force in Washington state are required under state law to have, as part of that investigation group, two community representatives who represent different parts of the community so there’s a mix of different perspectives,” GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said.  

Generally, the group examines incidents wherein a law enforcement officer operating within any jurisdiction in Grant County uses force and that leads to an injury or death, he said. During the initial portion of the investigation and inquiry, the volunteers would need to be available for about three to six hours to be informed about the investigation. Afterward, they would meet once a week to look at the progress in the investigation. The idea is to ensure the investigation is fair and thorough and no officers investigating the incident have conflicts of interest and similar goals.  

“They review evidence and receive weekly updates on the progress of the investigation,” Foreman said.  

The representatives examine cases countywide from all departments and work to ensure the integrity of the investigation is protected to ensure the community can trust the results, Foreman said.