Clark County OKs seeking safety grantsSubscriber Exclusive

The Clark County Council voted unanimously Tuesday morning to authorize District Court and the auditor and sheriff’s offices to seek $4.8 million in state grant funding aimed at sustaining electronic monitoring programs and bolstering local law enforcement resources.

Facing capacity limits at the county jail and the looming expiration of previous financial support, councilors voted to apply for the final round of the Washington State Public Safety Funding Program. The initiative, established by Engrossed Substitute House Bill 2015, provides direct financial assistance to local agencies balancing community safety with budget constraints.

During Tuesday’s meeting, grants program manager Diane Rathbun characterized the application as a collaborative effort between District Court and the sheriff’s office. She said a primary focus of the $4,835,000 request is preserving two vital electronic monitoring programs managed by District Court.

Tracking defendants

The first, known as Electronic Monitoring with Victim Notification Technology, tracks defendants in domestic violence cases using GPS ankle monitors. If a monitored individual breaches a restricted zone around a victim’s home, school or workplace, the system instantly sends an audible alert to an app on the victim’s smartphone and notifies police.

The second program relies on wearable alcohol monitors that test defendants for consumption every 30 minutes, enforcing strict sobriety requirements for those on supervised release.

Funding to sustain these safety measures is rapidly running out. State support for indigent defendants ordered to use the GPS victim notification system has permanently expired, while a separate grant keeping the alcohol monitoring program afloat is projected to end after September.

The sheriff’s office’s portion of the grant request targets immediate operational and community needs. Officials plan to use the funds to cover overtime, purchase alternative light sources and other equipment for crime scene processing and launch a targeted recruitment campaign to attract new deputies, according to a staff report.

Cost savings

The request also outlines technical and financial support for the Police Activities League to foster stronger relationships between local law enforcement and young people, the staff report said.

Rathbun said there is a financial incentive behind the grant application that relies heavily on keeping individuals out of a crowded jail system. Housing an individual in the Clark County Jail currently costs taxpayers $216 every day, according to documents filed by the county.

By allowing compliant defendants to remain in the community, the electronic monitoring programs saved the county an estimated $20 million in incarceration costs last year alone for the 1,073 total participants, according to data from the county.

Councilor Wil Fuentes highlighted this reality prior to the vote, noting that the jail is operating at capacity, and the county is leaning on supervised release programs to help relieve the overflow.

When pressed by Fuentes about contingency plans if the state denies the application, Rathbun acknowledged the uncertainty but confirmed District Court is working with collaborative partners to find long-term, sustainable funding solutions. Rathbun didn’t specify what steps are being taken.

The unanimous vote Tuesday enters the county into the final planned round of the state’s $100 million grant cycle.