While Clark County voters will be electing a new sheriff for the first time in decades, The Columbian Editorial Board is confident the Sheriff’s Office will remain in good hands. With Garry Lucas retiring after 24 years on the job, four candidates with vast law enforcement experience are seeking the position.
The Columbian recommends that Chuck Atkins and Shane Gardner advance out of the Aug. 5 primary to this year’s general election. As always, this serves merely as a recommendation designed to help inform citizens as they examine the issues and consider the ideas put forth by the candidates.
Atkins, a retired sheriff’s office commander, is a polished speaker who demonstrates strong leadership skills and a command of any situation. He has broad experience in the field, including time as a precinct commander, time with the K-9 unit and service with a SWAT unit. He comes across as somebody who could effectively establish policy and create an effective culture throughout the department. Atkins emphasizes the importance of forging alliances with private groups and with other public agencies in cultivating resources for the sheriff’s office.
Gardner, the community outreach sergeant for the department, also has experience with the Clark/Skamania Drug Task Force and the Substance Abuse Advisory Board. He has built a philosophy that stresses communication with — and compassion for — the public in performing police work. For example, during an online chat sponsored by The Columbian, he said, “We have deputies asking about citizenship when they’re in the middle of an assault investigation and it shuts down the victim’s demeanor because they’re worried they’re going to be deported, and that’s not what we’re there to investigate.” During a meeting with the editorial board, Gardner stressed communication with officers: “One of the great things that Sheriff Lucas has brought in is that you have the ability to make a decision.”
