Speaking power to truth: current law enforcement public relations in Bellingham and Whatcom County / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic of a black police car with white and blue lettering and white and blue striping to access a June 24, 2020 KGMI radio news extra on Bellingham Police Department’s “Police Perspective” video series

July 30, 2020  Dena Jensen

Since the body count of victims of unjust killings by police officers culminated with the slaying of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers in late May this year, community members in various areas of Whatcom County have been calling more intensely for numerous types of law enforcement and justice changes aimed at eliminating racist, discriminatory, biased, violent, militaristic, unjust, or unnecessary law enforcement actions. Increasingly, voices of local law enforcement officials are resounding in response.

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Sheriff Elfo’s campaign committee chair, Bruce Ayers’ response about We Speak creates more questions / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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Screen Shot of the text of Re-Elect Sheriff Bill Elfo Steering Committee Chair, Bruce Ayers’ reply to a comment on a September 23, 2019 post on the Re-elect Sheriff Bill Elfo Facebook page

October 5, 2019 Sandy Robson

The Searchlight Review published a September 22, 2019 article that focused on Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo, who is running for re-election this year, as well as two conservative groups in Skagit County, in relation to We Speak, a new social media platform for Christian conservatives founded by local Trump supporter Ray Gilbride, and his wife, Danielle Gilbride. 

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Whatcom County Council Member censors comments on two posts on their social media pages / Letter to Rud Browne, Sandy Robson

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Screenshot of Sandy Robson’s comment on an August 20, 2019 Facebook post made at 7:01 p.m. on the Rud Browne – County Councilmember Facebook page

August 25, 2019 Sandy Robson

Editor’s Note: In Facebook’s Help section it states: “When you hide a comment from a post on your Page, the comment will only be visible to the person who wrote it and their friends.” This means that the original commenter and anyone who is Facebook friends with that commenter can still see the comment. All other Facebook users who view the post will not be able to see that comment after it has been hidden.

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Some things voters should know about Sheriff Bill Elfo / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Screen shot of Sheriff Bill Elfo’s photo on the 2015 Whatcom County Jail mailer that was sent out to voters that year

August 22, 2019 Dena Jensen

Here’s a quick recap of some key information regarding Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo who is seeking reelection this year.

Sheriff Elfo supported Minutemen in 2005

In 2005, Sheriff Bill Elfo affirmed his support of the Minutemen vigilante group, which had formed around that time and was associated with the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. This was in response to publicity about people entering Arizona illegally. That year about 100 Minutemen volunteers were recruited here in Washington State.

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Why there was reform to talk about at the Whatcom County Community Justice Forum / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic image of the Whatcom County Courthouse with people on the steps and a branch in the foreground to access audio recording of the Whatcom Community Justice Forum on Soundcloud

July 26, 2019 Dena Jensen

I listened to the KGMI recording of the Whatcom Community Justice Forum today. There was a lot of good information presented, however it did seem rather like a giant campaign ad for Sheriff Elfo with a final plug for a new jail thrown in at the end. There was actually less focus on a new jail in the forum, though, than there was when Sheriff Elfo was on KGMI’s Saturday Morning Live radio broadcast last weekend.  

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Bellingham City Council candidate Dana Briggs speaks up for sanctuary ordinance at Council meeting / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic to access the recording on YouTube of Dana Briggs speaking at the 7/1/19 Bellingham City Council meeting

July 2, 2019 Dena Jensen

This election season I encourage residents of Whatcom County to call on 2019 candidates for office to use their visibility and amplified voices during their campaigns to spark critical changes for negatively impacted communities all around us who are experiencing crisis.

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Whatcom County Sheriff receives Operation Stonegarden Grant funding in joint mission to secure U.S. borders / Noisy Waters Northwest

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kbfw rosalinda stonegarden

Click the graphic to access this Keep Bellingham Families Working Facebook post on their Facebook page

September 19, 2018   Dena Jensen

In light of our heightened awareness of threats to Whatcom County residents through the initiation of  deportation proceedings against immigrant’s rights activist and Bellingham resident Maru Mora-Villalpando in December of 2017, and the August 29, 2018 ICE raid against employees of the Bellingham location of Granite Precasting, I am going to try to shed some light on this Operation Stonegarden Grant funding that the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office has been receiving for years now with the approval of the Whatcom County Council. Continue reading →

Post Primary Parting Shots / Corky Nouveau

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Whatcom County Auditor election 081018

Click the image to access the latest Whatcom County August 7, 2018 primary election results

August 11, 2018  Corky Nouveau

The primaries were more intense than any I can remember, but my involvement doesn’t go back very far, just to 2014, when I volunteered for that quixotic carpetbagger Seth Fleetwood. No doubt the Repubs have measured Pinky’s proximity to the 42nd line down to the inch. Kudos for Tim Ballew II’s rapid endorsement of his running partner.   Continue reading →

Help us stop failing the jail / Noisy Waters Northwest

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many existing system deficiencies strauss.jpg

January 24, 2018  Dena Jensen

On Tuesday, January 30, 2018, now that new Council Members are officially sworn in, the Whatcom County Council’s Finance and Administrative Services Committee (freshly composed of Council Members Rud Browne, Tyler Byrd, and Satpal Sidhu) and Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee (which now is served on by Council Members Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Satpal Sidhu) will be discussing some issues related to urgently needed renovations of the Whatcom County Jail in downtown Bellingham.  The Council will then revisit, and potentially vote on, results of the earlier committee discussions at their evening meeting at 7 p.m. that night. Continue reading →