7th District Public Safety Plan
Law Enforcement Support Initiative
Supporting our officers. Strengthening our communities. Building local careers.
Plan Summary
Support Officers. Do Not Replace Them.
Ron McCoy’s Law Enforcement Support Initiative focuses on reducing officer burnout, strengthening rural public safety, creating local career pathways, and using trained community support roles for lower-risk work that does not require sworn law enforcement authority.
The Problem
Rural Law Enforcement Is Stretched Thin
Rural Washington law enforcement is stretched to the breaking point. With only 1.38 officers per 1,000 residents statewide — and rural counties faring even worse — departments across the 7th District are running on overtime, burning out their officers, and watching good people leave the profession entirely.
Officers Are Doing Everything
When an officer spends half a shift on a non-violent welfare check, traffic direction, or records paperwork, that is time they are not available for emergencies.
Too Few Officers
The problem is not that officers are doing the wrong things. The problem is that they are doing everything — and there are not enough of them to sustain it.
Good People Leave
Overtime, burnout, equipment costs, academy training, and staffing shortages create long-term costs that rural departments cannot ignore.
The Approach: Community Support Roles
Ron supports training and hiring local citizens for support-based public safety roles that reduce officer workload, build community connection, and create local employment — without replacing a single officer.
Support roles help officers focus on the work only sworn officers can do.
Washington Law
Why This Fits the Direction of State Law
This is not a new theory. The Washington Legislature already settled the question of what non-sworn staff can appropriately handle. A state law passed in 2026, 2SSB 5974, lays out tasks trained volunteers can take on, including technical and administrative support, parking enforcement and traffic management, transport, and public safety-related community service, education, and outreach work.
Those volunteer provisions do not take effect until January 1, 2027. Ron’s plan does not have to wait. Because it funds real, paid community support positions rather than volunteer hours, it can put people to work on this same list of appropriate, lower-risk tasks right now.
Support Roles
What Community Support Staff Could Do
These roles are designed for lower-risk work that supports public safety, strengthens community trust, and frees sworn officers for emergencies, investigations, and situations requiring law enforcement authority.
Non-Violent Welfare Checks
Trained community support staff conduct routine wellness visits for seniors, at-risk individuals, and community members, with clear protocols for when a situation needs to be handed off to a sworn officer.
Traffic Direction & Event Safety
Certified local staff handle traffic management at community events, construction zones, and school zones — a significant time drain on sworn officers today.
Missing-Person Support
Administrative coordination, tip-line management, and family liaison support during missing-person cases — roles that require compassion and organization, not a badge.
Elderly & Community Assistance
Transportation coordination, wellness referrals, and community connection services for seniors and vulnerable residents who regularly need a helping hand.
Administrative Support
Reports, scheduling, records handling, evidence logging, and data entry consume officer time but do not require sworn status.
Community Outreach & Events
School visits, community meetings, and neighborhood programs build the relationships that make law enforcement more effective and communities safer.
Benefits
Benefits for Officers and Communities
When structured correctly, community support programs deliver multiple wins at once — for departments, for officers, and for the communities they serve.
For Officers
- Reduced burnout and turnover.
- Lower overtime costs over time.
- More time focused on the work only sworn officers can do.
- Improved morale and retention.
For Communities
- Local jobs and training opportunities.
- Career pathways for young people in the district.
- Stronger community-law enforcement relationships.
- Stronger public safety for the long run.
Fiscal Approach: Start Smart, Grow Right
A smaller pilot program allows communities to test practical ways to reduce officer workload, overtime, burnout, and turnover — while measuring long-term financial sustainability before expanding.
No new local tax increases required.
Pilot Model
The Pilot Approach Means
No Large Program Before Proof
Communities are not locked into a large program before knowing it works.
Data Guides Expansion
Data and outcomes guide expansion decisions — not politics.
Local Control
Local departments maintain full control over how support roles are structured.
Grant-Funded Startup
No new local tax increases are required because grant funding can cover startup and pilot costs.
Funding
Possible Funding Resources
Existing federal and state grant programs can fund pilot programs, training, and equipment without burdening local taxpayers. These resources are available now.
| Funding Source | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Rural Public Safety Grants | DOJ COPS Office grants supporting rural law enforcement capacity, community policing, and staffing programs. |
| Community Policing Grants | Federal grants supporting community policing programs, partnerships, and civilian support roles. |
| Behavioral Health Grants Dashboard | SAMHSA grants for behavioral health integration, including mental health co-responder and welfare-check programs. |
| Federal Rural Assistance Programs | USDA Rural Development grants for community facilities and public safety infrastructure in rural areas. |
Measurable Goals
What Success Looks Like
A smart public safety pilot should be measured before it grows. Ron’s approach focuses on outcomes that matter to officers, departments, communities, and taxpayers.
Officer Support
- Reduced officer overtime pressure.
- Lower burnout and turnover risk.
- More time for officers to focus on sworn law enforcement duties.
Community Benefit
- More local public safety career pathways.
- Stronger community-law enforcement relationships.
- Improved support for seniors, vulnerable residents, and community events.
Taxpayer Accountability
- No new local tax increases.
- Grant-funded startup and pilot costs.
- Measured outcomes before expansion.
The Bottom Line
Officers should be able to focus on the work only they can do — not spend half their shift on paperwork and wellness checks. Rural communities deserve public safety that is both effective and sustainable, not a system running on burned-out officers working double shifts.
By supporting local officers, training community members for support roles, and using existing federal grant funding to pilot smarter public safety, we can build stronger, safer communities across the 7th District without asking local taxpayers to foot the bill.
Contact Ron’s TeamPaid for by the Committee to Elect Ron McCoy.