A PROVEN & TRUSTED LEADER IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. COMMITTED TO WALLA WALLA COUNTY.

Appointed under two consecutive Sheriffs, Richard has served for over eight years as Chief Criminal Deputy, a command officer with the authority to execute the core law enforcement powers and duties of the Sheriff.

In this role, Richard leads the day-to-day law enforcement operations of the Sheriff’s Office.

His responsibilities include:

• Managing Personnel: Leading the Patrol and Detective Bureaus, including sergeants, corporals, deputies, and detectives.
• Operational Strategy: Directing operational planning, specialized teams, and major incident and investigation reviews.
• Agency Administration: Overseeing hiring, scheduling, training programs, contracts, and policy development.
• Fiscal Management: Participating in budget planning and management, personnel and resource allocation, and pursuing federal and state grants.
• Interagency Collaboration: Partnering with law enforcement agencies, county and city officials, and community partners to solve problems, coordinate resources, and strengthen public safety.

Having served in four different ranks within the Sheriff’s Office, Richard understands the office from multiple perspectives: the deputies doing the work, the supervisors responsible for leading them, and the command staff making decisions that affect the entire agency.

He knows the personnel, the demands of their work, where the agency excels, and where changes are needed.

Throughout his career, Richard has worked to strengthen training, update policy, improve programs, solve operational problems, and make effective use of limited resources. He believes a strong organization should build on what works while continually looking for ways to do better.

As Sheriff, Richard will bring that same approach to the entire organization: preserve its strengths, address areas that need improvement, support the people doing the work, and continue moving the Sheriff’s Office forward.

Richard has made professional development a priority throughout his career, pursuing advanced education, specialized training, and executive-level law enforcement training to prepare himself for greater leadership responsibility:

• Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
• FBI National Academy Graduate, 287th Session (Quantico, VA): A prestigious, invitation-only executive leadership program representing the top 1% of senior law enforcement leaders worldwide.
• FBI-Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy: Completed the Supervisory, Command, and Executive Leadership Institutes.
• Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission Mid-Level Management Certification
• Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission First-Line Supervisor Certification

Together with his command experience, this continued education has prepared Richard for the operational, administrative, and leadership responsibilities of serving as Sheriff.

Richard’s preparation is reflected in the trust of those who have worked with him, served alongside him, and observed his leadership firsthand. The deputies and detectives he leads voted unanimously, 22–0, through the Walla Walla Commissioned Deputies Association, to endorse him for Sheriff. He has also earned the support of retiring Sheriff Mark Crider, retiring Undersheriff Joe Klundt, and the Walla Walla Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 404.

That support reflects the confidence of people who understand the demands of public safety leadership and have seen Richard’s leadership up close.

For Richard, becoming Sheriff is more than the next step in a law enforcement career. Walla Walla County is where he has built his life and spent more than two decades serving its communities.

As Sheriff, Richard will bring his experience to strengthening training and employee development, supporting the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office, using public resources responsibly, maintaining strong partnerships, and providing effective and responsive law enforcement services throughout Walla Walla County.

His goal is not simply to maintain a strong Sheriff’s Office, but to keep making it stronger by building on what works, addressing what can be improved, and leading an organization prepared to meet the needs of Walla Walla County now and into the future.