March 2022 - Pierce County Executive

18Mar 2022 by lcatali

Devastating

Executive

The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department SWAT Team is really more like a family. They represent “the best of the best” of our deputies and train extensively as a team. Like a family, they have each other's backs. They also have special equipment, tactics and personnel - including negotiators, a K-9 and a doctor. I have seen them in action firsthand - both in training and on a callout. Some of you may be surprised to know that one of the benefits of all that training, teamwork and preparation is that they rarely fire their weapons on a call - despite what you see on the TV show SWAT. Most of the time, the team’s presence and approach convinces the “bad guy” to surrender without a fight - and that is…

Moving on

Executive

[caption id="attachment_3388" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Photo credit: Seattle Times[/caption] Despite the increased conjecture over the last couple of years, I was not ready for the announcement that Russell Wilson had been traded to Denver. And the reactions of people I talked with were across the board. Some frustrated Seahawks fans wished him good riddance, while others thought it was the worst possible move the team leadership could make – and everything in between (Die-hard Broncos fan, Mary Ransier, was especially thrilled with the trade.). For me, the 2014 Super Bowl win over the Broncos was so sweet (Remember that, Mary?) – and I yearned to return to that Seahawks team – young, brash, world-beaters. Wilson was an incredibly talented quarterback and team leader. He was a man of character who visited…

A ray of hope

Executive

Let’s face it. It’s been a hard week. Like many of you, I have been closely watching the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine. Certainly, Putin vastly underestimated the spirit of independence of the Ukrainian people. Sadly, he is not backing down, and we are seeing the war escalate – with civilians now in the crosshairs. At some level, it feels like we are reliving the Nazi invasions of their neighbors in 1939 as we hear about the brutality that is happening. It’s difficult to watch the latest developments without feeling helpless and depressed. I expect you feel some of this, too, and I want to remind you that we provide the Employee Assistance Program to help you work through difficult times. However, I had one of my favorite and inspiring…