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Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello is speaking publicly about concerns he has about public statements and social media posts by Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank.

Earlier this month, Sheriff Swank appeared on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Newsradio. In that interview, Swank advised citizens to never take a field sobriety test if they are pulled over by law enforcement for suspicion of DUI.

“I was stunned,” Pierce County Executive Ryan Mello said. “I’m stunned by a lot of stuff the sheriff says on his Twitter and publicly on radio shows and other news outlets — that the top law enforcement officer in Pierce County says that, does not make us safer.”

Swank has been unapologetic and has even doubled down on some of his most controversial statements and posts.

Pierce County executive says sheriff’s comments distract from public safety

Mello feels it is a distraction from the work at hand — keeping residents of the county safe.

Swank also wants to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on deportations, but Washington law prohibits that cooperation. The 2019 Keep Washington Working Act limits local enforcement’s ability to work with ICE and/or arrest people for immigration violations.

“The prosecutor and I and others are here to help him understand what his role is, and what his role is not. His role certainly is not doing federal immigration enforcement,” Mello said.

Mello also sees the social media posts and public statements as a distraction from urgent public safety issues.

“There are a lot of questionable things that come from the sheriff’s Twitter account and out of his mouth, and I really hope we keep our head down and stay focused on keeping this community safe,” Mello said.

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