Sheriff candidate Chadwick favors property to double suggested jail size in future / Noisy Waters Northwest

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April 24, 2023 Dena Jensen

Here’s something to be aware of. The current Whatcom County Undersheriff, Doug Chadwick, who also is one of the candidates running to replace Bill Elfo as Sheriff in the November 2023 election, indicated that he wants to ensure that the County will be able to double the size of a proposed new jail in the years ahead and favors building on a property that would accommodate the size of a horizontal design, i.e. the property purchased for a jail in Ferndale years ago.

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Law enforcement remains in the lead to re-criminalize drug use and possession / Noisy Waters Northwest

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April 20, 2023 Dena Jensen

April 20, 2023  Dena Jensen

On April 10, 2023, five out of seven members of the Bellingham City Council voted to approve an ordinance making it illegal to publicly use controlled substances in their city. Council Members took the action after amending the original ordinance which had been presented by Mayor Seth Fleetwood about a month earlier. Enforcement will guarantee that some people living outside will be exposed to increased scrutiny and pursuit by the Bellingham Police Department.

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New Bellingham drug use law looks to rely on diversion program with high barrier to entry / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access video and meeting materials for the 4/10/23 Bellingham City Council Public Health, Safety and Justice Committee

April 14, 2023 Dena Jensen

I’ll try to give a rough overview of the Bellingham City Council Members’ discussion on Monday, April 10, 2023 in their Public Health, Safety, and Justice Committee meeting about potentially proceeding forward to approve their ordinance to make public use of controlled substances a crime. (I haven’t gotten a chance yet to listen to the brief review of community courts which was the second item on their agenda).

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McGill points to services as solutions for crises in our community: response to new Bellingham public drug use law / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to view the public comment of Northwest Youth Services Executive Director Jason McGill that was given at the April 10, 2023 Bellingham City Council meeting at 01:44:10 mark.

April 13, 2023 Dena Jensen

For some folks who may have missed the public comment of the Executive Director for Northwest Youth Services, Jason McGill, at Monday’s 4/10/23 Bellingham City Council meeting, I am posting it here. It was the second to the last comment in a nearly two hour public comment session that night. It was fitting to have his comment and one from a student and renter who is on rental assistance from Northwest Youth Services close it out.

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Additional data related to Bellingham’s pursuit of an ordinance against people using drugs in public / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access 2016-2020 Whatcom County Drug Court data on the Whatcom County website

April 3, 2023 Dena Jensen

In the email and graphic in this post there is a little more info related to Bellingham elected officials moving forward an ordinance to make public drug use illegal and considering related services. I sent the email to make sure elected officials had this information and to address some items from a response that one official had sent to a previous email about the ordinance which I had sent.

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