Questions center on safety measures

Published 2:20 pm Monday, April 20, 2026

PORT ANGELES — Frustration over drug use, homelessness and crime dominated a public safety town hall at Fairview Grange, where Clallam County residents pressed law enforcement and local officials on why conditions appear to be worsening and what could be done to reverse the trend.

The forum on Thursday, sponsored by Calico Cat, a nonpartisan group focused on local issues, drew more than 200 people. Panelists Clallam County District 3 Commissioner Mike French, Clallam County Sheriff Brian King, Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Nichols and Port Angeles Police Chief Brian Smith fielded questions from residents who described the negative impacts of illegal activity in their communities.

A long line formed at the microphone as people aired grievances, posed pointed questions and shared personal experiences they said reflect a lack of action and accountability.

Trespassing, drug activity and aggressive panhandling were cited as areas where law enforcement response is lacking.

One man asked why people sleeping in doorways and on sidewalks are not removed.

“Those are crimes that are being enforced all the time,” Nichols said, adding that recent federal court rulings have made it more difficult to remove people from public spaces unless specific legal conditions are met.

A woman described a man camping near a school in Sequim who was later arrested for indecent exposure and asked what can be done to prevent similar incidents.

“Our parks and playgrounds are littered with used drug paraphernalia,” she said. “What are you willing to do to keep our children safe?”

A downtown Port Angeles resident described repeated break-ins to homes and vehicles and open drug use near the Safeway on Lincoln Street. The activity persists despite repeated calls to law enforcement, the woman said.

“They knew who it was,” she said. “It is a vortex of crime.”

Smith said officers have to have enough evidence to make an arrest, even if they know who is involved.

“We have to be able to prove something is illegal,” he said. “There’s always a difference between what we know versus what we can prove.”

Addressing those issues requires additional public safety resources, French said. He pointed to broader factors the county is struggling with, such as insufficient housing, as contributing to the problem.

Harm reduction programs emerged as a flashpoint, with several speakers sharply questioning the use of public funds for services provided through the county’s Department of Health and Human Services Harm Reduction Health Center.

One man described his experience with addiction and criticized the distribution of drug-use supplies.

“It’s one thing to have a one-to-one needle exchange, but it’s another thing to have (safe use) kits,” he said. “Every time I think about our tax dollars paying for it, it hurts.”

Others argued the approach prolongs drug use rather than pushing people toward treatment.

“It’s not empathetic care,” one man said. “We are enabling users.”

French advocated for the harm reduction program, saying it is intended to reduce the spread of communicable diseases and prevent overdose deaths.

“When people engage in these services, they are more likely to enter treatment programs,” he said.

The comment drew pushback from the crowd.

Smith singled out the county’s overdose response program, Operation Shielding Hope, as an example of how that approach is carried out by focusing on preventing deaths and connecting people to services.

However, changes in state law, such as reducing simple drug possession from a felony to a misdemeanor, has limited the tools available to law enforcement and the judicial system to address drug use, making it more difficult to direct people toward treatment.

“We’ve lost the ability to incentivize people to get help,” Nichols said.

In addition, state law limits how long people can be held, Nichols explained, with a presumption of release and the ability for defendants to post bail even in serious cases.

He said bail of $200,000 to $300,000 had been set in some cases, with defendants released within 24 to 72 hours.

“That’s not something that has been customarily seen here,” Nichols said.

Enforcement has been complicated by limited resources and the rise in fentanyl, King said.

“We don’t have the staff to be proactive,” he said. “We are very reactive because we are responding to 24,000 to 30,000 calls per year.”

He said Washington ranks last in the nation for law enforcement officers per capita, underscoring the strain on local agencies. Clallam County, for example, has about one deputy for every 1,000 residents, King said.

Nichols, Smith and King all pointed to state law and policy as key factors that shape enforcement and prosecution, citing legal limits, restrictions on policing tools and a lack of resources.

Smith encouraged residents to take their concerns to state lawmakers.

“I hope that when you meet our legislators that you’re able to get their attention,” he said.

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Reporter Paula Hunt can be reached by email at paula.hunt@peninsuladailynews.com.