Morale crisis rocks sheriff’s office, undersheriff Harris reinstated

An independent investigation has exposed significant morale problems at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), stemming from a contentious 2023 election where many deputies and detectives supported a former undersheriff who lost the race, according to a report released to the public on November 4.

Whatcom County Undersheriff Steve Harris had been on paid administrative leave since August 30 after WCSO employees made multiple allegations against him. Whatcom County Sheriff Donnell Tanksley reinstated Harris as undersheriff on November 1 and released a report regarding this on November 4.

The report was released after little information had been given on the investigation and The Northern Light had filed a public records request for the report.

The investigation, conducted by attorney Jeffery M. Wells, found “significant distrust” between Harris and certain WCSO employees, creating a work environment “where benign conduct and or changes in practices are viewed suspiciously.”

The report also stated “the distrust runs in both directions” with Harris questioning the motives of certain WCSO employees due to those employees’ perceived allegiances to previous WCSO leadership prior to the 2023 election.

The county hired Williams, Kastner & Gibbs, a Seattle-based law firm, to conduct an independent investigation after multiple allegations against Harris were filed by WCSO employees.

The report published 32 allegations of Harris fostering a hostile work environment, retaliation, discrimination, code of conduct violations, unprofessionalism and other concerns, according to the report. Some, but not all, allegations were determined to be unfounded by the investigation.

One recurring complaint lodged against Harris by multiple WCSO employees had to do with the elimination of “portal-to-portal” pay, a practice where WCSO detectives are compensated for their time commuting to and from work. The practice was allowed under former WCSO Sheriff Bill Elfo and Undersheriff Doug Chadwick but was never an official policy with the sheriff’s office nor the sheriff’s guild, according to the report.

Tanksley reached out to other local law enforcement agencies to inquire about portal-to-portal pay and was told it was not a practice within those agencies, according to the report. Tanksley was also told by the Whatcom County human resources department that the practice could be construed as an improper gift of public funds.

The report did not find that the decision to stop portal-to-portal pay by Harris was retaliatory in nature. According to the report, the decision was brought to the sheriff’s deputy guild and was upheld.

The report stated that the portal-to-portal pay topic was one of the most consistently raised issues during investigation. With the clarification in WCSO policy coming just weeks after Tanksley and Harris took new positions, “it appears to have set a negative tone in the agency early on.”

Harris reportedly told detectives they could return to patrol duties if they wanted portal-to-portal pay, as deputies receive compensation for their commute times, according to the report. 

Other allegations made against Harris included inappropriate workplace decorum, failure to follow the chain of command, use of expletives in the workplace, and telling employees that it was “bold” of them to support opposing sheriff candidate Doug Chadwick’s election campaign.

The report found that Harris’ conduct did not amount to unlawful retaliation, or discrimination, but that his conduct was often unprofessional, which Harris acknowledged.

Taken altogether, the allegations paint a clear picture of a rank-and-file distrust of the new WCSO leadership after Tanksley – who the report said described himself as an “outsider” after serving as chief of the Blaine Police Department – defeated Chadwick, who had worked for the office for about 30 years, in the November 2023 election for sheriff.

“As a result of his promotion, Undersheriff Harris rose through multiple levels of the WCSO hierarchy, essentially overnight, which raised questions about his ability to lead effectively without command staff experience,” the report stated.

Until Tanksley released the report’s findings on November 4, WCSO had released very few details about the investigation.

“In addition to our WCSO values of integrity, excellence and teamwork – transparency is also paramount for our agency,” Tanksley wrote. “To that end, I have decided to publicly release the report. I am taking measures to address the concerns expressed. We are committed to fostering respect and open communication at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.”