PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A long-time Seattle police office and the current patrol bureau chief with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department will advance to the November election in the race for Pierce County sheriff.
Keith Swank and Patti Jackson both lead the August primary race with 25% as of Aug. 9. Cyndie Fajardo trails with 22% of the vote.
The top two vote-getters in the primary move on to the November general election in Washington state.
According to Swank's campaign website, Swank spent 15 years as a patrol officer in Seattle before being promoted to sergeant. He oversaw 911 emergency response for four years, where he rose to second-in-command. He then returned to patrol and was promoted to lieutenant, and spent two tours as a watch commander. In 2017, he was promoted to captain and worked as the night duty commander.
He also served as the commander of the Metro Special Response Section, which includes the SWAT Team, Harbor Patrol, the Canine Unit and the Arson Bomb Squad. During his time with SPD, he was the SWAT team commander who directed the clearance and securing of the CHOP/CHAZ zone in Capitol Hill.
Swank told KING 5 his top priorities are reviewing departmental leadership and policies, addressing juvenile crime, and trying to keep violent criminals from being released into the community.
"Juvenile crime in the county is out of control," said Swank. "There are violent juveniles out there. They're not being held in detention centers like they should be. We need to call that out and call the judges and prosecutors and hold them accountable."
According to Jackson's campaign website, Jackson serves as the Patrol Bureau Chief with the PCSD.
She has worked with PCSD since 1989, primarily in the Corrections Bureau. She also participates in mental health communities and holds a position on the City-County Opioid Task Force. In 2016, she implemented the state's first Jail Narcotic K9 program.
Beyond her work with the Corrections Bureau, Jackson has collaborated with local agencies and service clubs on projects tackling homelessness, drug addiction and mental health, including partnering with local nonprofits to establish a rehabilitation program that works to address the root causes of addiction.
Jackson told KING 5 her top priorities are holding the department accountable, reestablishing relationships with the community, and being tough on crime.
"We are a county that says 'not in Pierce County.' I want our kids, I want our families, to be able to go out and ride their bikes, to go to the playground and sit here and be able to feel safe enough, that their children are safeguarded," said Jackson.