August 7, 2024
ISSUE 32
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Pierce County Council split on sheriff’s department being featured on 'Cops' By Spencer Pauley The Center Square
New driving school set to launch in Eatonville accessible to parents,” Tracy said. Take the Wheel Driving School will be the only driving school and Department of Licensing Soon, young drivers in Eatonville will have a (DOL) testing center in Eatonville. This will local option for driver education. Husband-and-wife team Luis and Tracy Marin allow families to get licensed locally instead of traveling to Graham, Lakewood, Yelm, or Lacey. are set to launch Take the Wheel Driving School What sets them apart from other driving in Eatonville. Luis has been a certified driving schools is their commitment to providing a instructor and examiner for 20 years and has robust foundation in driver education. While a background in enforcement, while Tracy has many focus on issues like gun violence or drug worked with vehicle licensing in Washington use, Take the Wheel recognizes that vehicle state for the last 25 years. crashes are the leading cause of teen fatalities, Together, they bring over 40 years of licensing according to the Highway Safety Commission. experience and form a dynamic duo with “At Take the Wheel Driving School, we don’t extensive knowledge in the field. just aim to fill seats; we strive to ensure that each “We love this town and the people who call student leaves as a skilled and responsible driver. it home. We look forward to serving our great Our goal is to equip young drivers with the tools community,” Tracy said. The idea for the driving school stemmed from a and knowledge they need to be collision-free for life, aligning with Washington State’s ‘Target Zero focus on valuing and using time wisely. Plan’ to eliminate traffic fatalities,” Tracy Marin “As parents, we realize the value of time and said. how most of us could use more of it. Having a Take the Wheel Driving School is eager to start driving school in town will provide convenience for all of us working parents. Our business hours will align with school hours and should be DRIVING Page 8Æ
Byy Merrick Parnell
The Pierce County Sheriff 's Department will be featured on the next season of the reality television show “Cops,” and county officials are split on whether or not this will help the department in its recruitment efforts. KING 5 first reported on the Pierce County Sheriff ’s Department being featured on the next season of the long-running show. The department told KING 5 that being on the show could help the department attract recruits. Last December, Deputy Jeff Papen said that the Pierce County Sheriff 's Office is one of the lowest staffed departments in the country. At that time, the county had 771 fulltime employees related to public safety. The county's law enforcement branch saw the number of positions drop from 414 FTEs in the 2022-2023 budget year to 402 set for the 2024-2025 budget year. For context, neighboring King County, Washington state’s most populated county, had 1,125 positions in its sheriff 's department at the same time. The prospect of Pierce County deputies being on "Cops" has drawn mixed reactions from members of the Pierce County Council. Council Chair Ryan Mello said he is skeptical that the show can help the county attract professionals needed to improve safety in the region and is instead a distraction. “What the show 'Cops' does is take isolated incidents and creates a perception that this kind of violent crime is happening all across the county. It is not,” Mello told The Center Square in an email. “This takes away from all the work we are doing to make this a great place to do business, work and raise a family.” Mello mentioned the county council’s previous work to compensate sheriff 's deputies and invest in recruitment and retention bonuses as better ways to recruit and retain deputies. On the other side of the argument, Pierce County Councilmember Amy Cruver views the sheriff's department's presence on the show as “an ideal opportunity” to showcase what deputies deal with during a routine patrol. Cruver said that the show is informative and that viewers can see the issues facing the county and come up with their own opinions and potential solutions based on what "Cops" showcases. COPS Page 8Æ