The Island County Prosecutor’s Office needs an airing out, and Steve Selby is the man who can clear the air.

Selby, a Republican, is challenging incumbent Democrat Greg Banks in the Nov. 7 election.

Although Banks has had his courtroom successes during his two terms in office, his time is marked by controversy. He’s alienated his own staff and law enforcement throughout the county. In a recent interview he recounted how one of his staff members told him, “I’m petrified I’m going to lose my job.” This was news to Banks. “I wasn’t aware of it,” he said of the tension in his own office.

To Banks’ credit, he brought in an outside mediator at considerable public expense to try to create a better work environment. But the fact a mediator is needed at all suggests that Banks never learned to effectively manage an office of bright young prosecutors during his tenure.

Police always have disagreements with prosecutors. Cops want the people they arrest charged with a crime, while a prosecutor has to meet the letter of the law. But it is remarkable that Banks has virtually no public support from any working member of the Island County police establishment, from the Sheriff’s Office to the Oak Harbor Police Department.

All important endorsements, from various police guilds to Banks’ own staff, have gone to Steve Selby, a 10-year veteran of the Prosecutor’s Office before he was fired on the spot by Banks after announcing his decision to run for prosecutor.

Voters should not look at Selby as just an alternative to Banks. In fact, by experience and demeanor, he’s the better choice.

What is particularly appealing about Selby is his deep, emotional, concern for the victims of crime, even if it means prosecuting someone for a domestic crime when the victim – often a close family member – objects. “Sometimes you have to protect people whether they want you to or not,” he said during a interview. That’s the kind of advocate we need in domestic violence cases.

Selby also has an enthusiasm for prosecuting criminals that fits the job title. He could work closely with police to create drug free zones with teeth, where there would be “no plea bargains, no mercy.”

Selby will inspire his staff, not intimidate them, and work smoothly with the police, courts and other county agencies. Voters should make the change for the sake of a more effective office of Island County Prosecutor.