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Pierce County Sheriff talks about controversial social media posts
The sheriff of Pierce County spoke with FOX 13 Seattle about the controversy his recent social media activity is creating.
TACOMA, Wash. - The sheriff of Pierce County spoke with FOX 13 Seattle about the controversy his recent social media activity is creating.
According to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank is the subject of three certification cases.
Complaints against the sheriff
The WSCJTC tells FOX 13 Seattle two of the cases are based on complaints against the sheriff, and the third case is due to misconduct while Swank was with the Seattle Police Department.
According to the Seattle Office of Police Accountability, Swank made several biased and unprofessional social media posts in 2023.
The Tweets Seattle's Office of Police Accountability investigated to determine misconduct
Now as sheriff, Swank is under fire again for his recent social media activity.
How the sheriff is responding
"You hear people say they believe in the freedom of speech, but actually they don’t because they want my freedom of speech dampened," said Swank.
A recent tweet that read, "Do you think it’s time to ban trans people from owning guns?" has garnered a lot of attention, including hundreds of comments and media coverage.
"The Criminal Justice Training Commission has the ability to determine what I write if it’s hate speech, and then they can decertify me and then make it so I'm not a cop anymore," said Swank. "I completely disagree with that for cops, but I specifically disagree with it for me, as an elected official."
Swank tells FOX 13 Seattle that the WSCJTC should not have any right over what he can say.
"What other politician has to get permission or gets reviewed by somebody, and they can be, what, unelected or removed from office because they said something that hurt someone's feelings?" said Swank.
Swank told FOX 13 Seattle his posts are intended to be talking points for the community, bring up divisive topics intentionally to get input from his constituents, and are his own and do not officially represent the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.
"Regardless of whether you agree with me or not, we will do constitutional policing at the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office. We hold our deputies to a high standard," said Swank.
The impacts
What happens next is unknown. The WSCJTC has not begun any investigation into these cases. Based on the findings of an investigation, it is possible Sheriff Swank could be decertified as an officer.
The WSCJTC said what would happen after the sheriff loses their certification falls under the authority of the Pierce County Council and the Attorney General’s Office. FOX 13 Seattle reached out to both agencies but have not heard back.
However, Sheriff Swank says even if he loses his certification, he will still remain in the role. He said sheriffs are elected and do not have to go to the academy.
State Law does say someone elected to the position of sheriff does not have to be a certified officer, but it also says the sheriff must obtain a certification of completing basic law enforcement training within the first year of assuming the role.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, an interview with Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank, and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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