Being in law enforcement in Port Townsend is a very complicated job.
Very likely the person needing intervention as well as the person asking for help are known to the law enforcement officer who responds.
I have over the years needed help with a relative who combined, unfortunately, mental illness with drugs.
When Joe Nole responded, I watched him deal with this person with respect and concern, knowing mental illness was involved.
At one point all the officers in PT got training in how to handle such cases and we as a town benefited greatly.
I’m not sure under whose leadership that was accomplished but I do know that Joe Nole used skills he had learned to deal with difficult situations, to de-escalate a potentially violent interaction with law enforcement and to avoid a minor issue from becoming more serious.
That is the kind of skills we need.
‘Respond and resolve’ is not going to do it.
We need a cool head who know how complicated law enforcement issues can be and how fast they can evolve into violence.
The town has been relatively peaceful for a few years.
Let’s not let that cool approach be taken over by hasty ‘respond and resolve.’
Vote for Joe Nole to keep Port Townsend a town where most of us consider our law enforcement officers to be friends who care about the work they are doing for us.
Jenifer Taylor
Port Townsend