I’m a Whidbey General Hospital paramedic and I was at Harborview when the officer who was shot in the head came in by helicopter. He died a couple days ago, the sixth officer to die in the line of duty in Washington in less than two months. It was chaotic as officers poured into the ER in support and shock; law enforcement from King County, Seattle, Washington State Patrol, as well as his colleagues from Pierce County. It was difficult to look at the pain in their faces as they felt the loss of another friend, someone they stood side-by-side with only hours earlier.

I attended the Island County commissioners’ meeting last Monday afternoon in Coupeville. I admit I wasn’t aware of all the financial demands placed on the county, and it’s easy to focus on what’s important to each of us. Like many of those at the meeting, I understand the need for Senior Services, for Emergency Management, and for Beach Watchers and other groups that spend many hours keeping the islands beautiful. And let’s not forget the records clerk in the Island County Sheriff’s Department who is now unemployed.

I also understand why some would think that because we’re rural our crime rate is lower, our density of criminals lower … we can only hope. But Island County is not square like some of the other counties, and getting from one point to another can be time consuming.

While our 210 miles of coastline makes living on Whidbey and Camano spectacular, and isolates us in some ways, our shapes make it difficult for any public service. How can you plan for emergencies that happen in Scatchet Head or Strawberry Point, or distant points on Camano? Mutual aid from other departments helps most of the time. Without the support of Langley, Oak Harbor, Coupeville, and Washington State Patrol, it would be even more difficult for ICSO on Whidbey. As someone pointed out in the meeting, although law enforcement is only one part of life here, when you need them, you need them NOW.

Sheriff Mark Brown and the deputies are dedicated professionals. There are always calls pending, and they have to be prioritized. Some responses, like domestics, require more than one officer. ICSO is not only answering your 911 calls, they answer ours. When we have a violent patient, or traffic needs to be controlled so we can extricate someone from a vehicle, they are there for us too.

I’m sure the pain that comes from seeing one of your friends and colleagues gunned down can’t be described. Please reinstate the deputy as soon as possible. Don’t add an Island County deputy to the list.

Deb Crager

Oak Harbor