State investigating sheriff’s unusual intervention in Richland police personnel matter, which Richland officials called misleading and inappropriate.
April 12 update includes Sheriff Tom Croskrey’s
response.
April 14 update includes at the bottom of the
article a screenshot of a copy of the letter Sheriff Croskrey sent to the
Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center on January 31, 2022.
The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, the state certification agency tasked with upholding police standards, is investigating Benton County Sheriff Tom Croskrey after a report revealed his unusual effort to get a retired Richland cop a benefit that his former employer felt was unlawful.
Croskrey’s effort to help a Richland police officer was revealed in an outside investigation commissioned by the city of Richland into questionable actions by former Police Chief Brigit Clary. The investigation report was first reported by The Observer on March 27.
It turns out that when Clary had refused to issue a “retired card” for a former Richland Police Department (RPD) officer Jeff Bickford, Croskrey helped him obtain one of the card’s benefits, with a letter to WSCJTC, records obtained under the Washington Public Records Act show.
Asked whether it was investigating Croskey’s effort to certify Bickford by sending the sort of letter that would normally be sent by his former employer the certification agency confirmed to The Observer that, in response to a complaint, it is investigating Croskrey — which in theory could lead to his decertification.
“While the Commission does not generally comment on ongoing investigations, I can confirm that we received a complaint against Sheriff Croskrey, and the WSCJTC Certification Division has an active investigation into the matter,” Kim Bliss, the agency’s assistant director of certification, wrote in an April 8 email.
“If there is evidence that an officer knowingly provided a false report to the Commission, the Commission may seek revocation or suspension of the officer’s certification.”
The Observer reached out to Croskrey in an email and asked about the appropriateness of his letter. Croskrey responded on April 12 that the January 31, 2022, letter to the WSCJTC was sent to “facilitate a dialogue relating to Jeff Bickford’s status.”
“Further, as it was clear in the first sentence that Jeff Bickford had been employed by RPD [sic] it was generally anticipated someone would contact me from the WSCJTC with questions as to the information and purpose of the letter. This is why I provided the specific invitation to call me and I provided a contact number,” Croskrey wrote.
Requirements and benefits of a retired card
State law allows law enforcement retirees to carry concealed weapons if they meet certain requirements.
RCW 9.41.060(10)(a) requires that the retiring officer obtain “documentation from a law enforcement agency within Washington state from which he or she retired that is signed by the agency’s chief law enforcement officer and that states that the retired officer was retired for service or physical disability, except for those law enforcement officers retired because of mental of stress-related disabilities.”
The card is a prerequisite to obtaining the federal equivalent under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) which states that officers must be “retired or separated in good standing as a law enforcement officer for reasons other than mental instability.”
Croskrey steps in after Richland denies a card.
In November of 2021, Bickford wrote to the Richland Police Department saying it was incorrectly delaying or denying his request for the retired card.“I understand that my request is being delayed or denied because I have what is being characterized as an open Labor and Industries (L&I) claim, based on my need for ongoing therapy—therapy which, of course, has become necessary to help me process the ongoing trauma of reviewing thousands of images of child sexual abuse and torture as an inherent part of my investigation as a law enforcement officer.
“I have provided written explanations from two doctors, each of which sets forth in detail that expert conclusions that I do not suffer from any of mental instability, diminished capacity, or other impairment that could reasonably prevent me from carrying a firearm.”
Clary, who became interim chief in January 2022, wouldn’t issue a retired card to the officer.
On January 31, 2022, Croskey sent a letter to the Criminal Justice Training Commission that essentially vouched for Bickford where his former employer had not. It said the officer “…separated from service after completing any applicable probationary period of such service, due to a service-connected disability.”
But when RIchland City Attorney Heather Kintzley and Clary learned of the agency’s move based on Croskrey’s letter, they sent a sharply-worded letter to Monica Alexander, executive director of the certification agency,on May 20, 2022, questioning the actions of both the state agency and Croskey.
The city, they wrote, “vehemently objects” to the certification agency’s “decision to utilize assertions from another law enforcement agency to make its LEOSA determination.”
“Sheriff Croskrey has no authority to declare the separation status of any employee of the Richland Police Department, nor did he accurately reflect the fact of Mr. Bickford’s separation from employment”
Kintzley and Clary wrote that the city didn’t endorse Bickford for a retirement card “…because Mr. Bickford left active duty due to a mental or stress-related disability (i.e. PTSD).”
WSCJTC Deputy Director Jerrell Wills sent a letter to Clary on May 24, 2022, writing, “In compliance with RCW 9.41.050 and RCW 9.41.060, the WSCJTC will be revoking the LEOSA credentials of Mr Bickford.
Recent city investigation has roots in Clary’s employment in Federal Way
In October 2023 an anonymous tipster notified the city of Richland, the Benton County Prosecutor and The Observer and others that Police Chief Brigit Clary had left her previous job at the Federal Way Police Department in 2017 because she was about to be terminated after an investigation there.
The investigation of her in Federal Way had revealed nepotism in favoring her husband for overtime and untruthfulness in answering questions about it. And her untruthfulness landed her on the “potential Brady list” in the King County Prosecutor’s office.
The tipsters information led County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger to investigate and add Clary to the Benton County Brady list as well.
Prosecutors use a Brady list, which is named for a 1963 Supreme Court case, Brady v. Maryland, to ensure that information about police officers with questionable records is disclosed to defense attorneys. The requirement stems from defendants’ constitutional right to a fair trial.
After receiving the tip on the first investigation the City of Richland launched its own.
At the end of November, the City of Richland hired an outside firm to “conduct a fact finding investigation into workplace concerns involving former Police Chief Brigit Clary.”
One of the concerns revealed in the investigation involved Clary’s sudden about-face after denying the retired card in early 2022, which in turn led to Croskey stepping in.
In October 2023, Bickford requested information from Federal Way about Clary’s record of misconduct, which had not yet surfaced publicly. She then signed off on Bickford’s request before her retirement at the end of 2023, a decision that the city’s outside investigator felt may have been “compromised” by her desire to keep information about her from getting out.
After the Richland report was released, Eisinger began looking for an agency to investigate the actions it described. His first choice was the state’s largest criminal law enforcement agency, the Washington State Patrol.
Communications Director Chris Loftis of the Washington State Patrol (WSP) told the Observer in an April 4 telephone interview that Eisinger contacted WSP Chief John Batiste in early March. Batiste decided there were no felonies involved, and the investigations would be more appropriate for another organization, according to Loftis
In an April 5 email to the Observer, Benton County Prosecutor Eric Eisinger wrote that he was looking for someone else to conduct a full investigation.
“I am referring the February 26, 2024 investigation report … to an outside law enforcement agency to conduct a full investigation,” he wrote. “At the present, I am still working on identifying an agency who will review this matter.”
In a March 29 letter to the RPD, an anonymous writer asked the RPD to investigate Croskrey and Bickford for “fraud” citing RCW 74.04.004 and “forgery” citing RCW 9A.60.020 in the retired card case.
“I am writing anonymously as there are several of us that are afraid of retaliation,” the source wrote in records obtained by the Observer from the city of Richland through the Washington Public Records Act
The RPD referred the letter to Eisinger, records show.
Meanwhile the state certification agency has already questioned Croskrey about his letter supporting Bickford.
In an Action Log from the WSCJTC obtained through a record request, Chief Investigator E.J. Swainson wrote on May 26, 2022, “I explained it appeared that he and BCSO did not have the power or authority to provide a LEOSA endorsement. I read the law to Sheriff Croskrey explaining the section relating to leaving an agency for reasons of mental stress, in this case, PTSD. Sheriff Croskrey said RPD was wrong, that Bickford was fine.”
Swainson wrote “Croskrey asked me, ‘So what if I hire him for 1 day and then issue the letter?'”
“I asked what his relationship was to Bickford and why he had taken these actions to support him. Sheriff Croskrey declined to elaborate his relationship, but did explain that Bickford had been treated badly and incorrectly by RPD,” Swainson wrote in the Action Log
In an email response to questions about the issues surrounding his retirement card, Bickford provided two copies of “Notice of Peace Officer Separation,” that were submitted to the WACJTC. He asked the Observer to compare his clean form with Clary’s that included a long explanation of why she was under investigation.
There’s been no indication of when the investigation will conclude.
Looks like Benton county is compromised also with whatever favorites they maybe doing for others also. Why wouldn’t they! Richland city council started this style of leadership by making sure all their buddies and family get appointed or hired by the city. Then go make new friends by offering up cheap city land for cheap developments. I suspect the Ben Franklin bus board is getting kickbacks from Flower Construction since Flower’s advertising on that new public building….
Hi Mike, I appreciate your comments. The Observer misses your great coverage of the Benton County Commission and wishes you were still on that beat. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy
The following is made with respect but also with concern.
Above you wrote:
“Croskrey’s effort to help a Richland police officer was revealed in an outside investigation commissioned by the city of Richland into questionable actions by former Police Chief Brigit Clary. The investigation report was first reported by The Observer on March 27.”
In that March 27 story you indicated that you were relying upon a Richland investigation on Brigit Clary dated “February 26 and the Observer obtained the report through the Washington Public Records Act.”
You also wrote above that:
“In October 2023 an anonymous tipster notified the city of Richland, the Benton County Prosecutor and The Observer and others that Police Chief Brigit Clary had left her previous job at the Federal Way Police Department in 2017 because she was about to be terminated after an investigation there.”
This appears not to be accurate if when looking at the February 26, 2024 report, the main source document of this story.
The February 26, 2024 report you are relying upon doesn’t indicate that the City of Richland was aware of anything in “October 2023” relating to Brigit Clary leaving her previous job.
On the contrary the February 26, 2024 report indicates that City became aware of information of Brigit Clary’s reasons for leaving her previous job on November 17, 2024, which the report indicates came from the Benton County Prosecutors Office on November 2017.
If the City of Richland was aware in October of 2023 of Brigit Clary’s resignation and pending potential firing from the Federal Way Police Department why isn’t in the February 26, 2024 report?
You also wrote in the story today: “At the end of November, the City of Richland hired an outside firm to “conduct a fact finding investigation into workplace concerns involving former Police Chief Brigit Clary.”
Again, If the City of Richland knew in October of 2023 about Brigit Clary’s circumstances i.e. why/ how she really knew about leaving the Federal Way Police Department, then why would they wait until the end of November of 2023 to hire an “outside” firm to investigate? This makes no sense.
Finally, you wrote:
“in October 2023, Bickford requested information from Federal Way about Clary’s record of misconduct, which had not yet surfaced publicly. She then signed off on Bickford’s request before her retirement at the end of 2023, a decision that the city’s outside investigator felt may have been “compromised” by her desire to keep information about her from getting out.”
This paragraph makes no sense when compared to the February 26, 2024 report. The report indicates that Brigit Clary knew long before October of 2023 that the information was already out from public records request made in the Summer of 2023.
If this article is relying on the accuracy of the February 26, 2024 report it appears that that both the report and this article contain some disturbing gaps.
Hi Petrapath1982,
I appreciate your comments. In response I will first of all refer you to Page One of the Inslee Best report from Katherine F. Weber. Paragraph 2:
“Specifically in October 2023, a series of internal and external events alerted the City to issues involving Chief Clary’s former employment at the Federal Way Police Department and the potential impacts of such upon her decision-making and conduct as an applicant and employee of the City.”
Your question about why it took several weeks for the city to start an investigation, should be directed to the city. You would also have to ask Clary about her thoughts on the record request in the summer of 2023. She did not cooperate with the investigation or respond to my requests for comment.
Thank you for reading the Observer.
Randy
I just noticed Petrapath’s last comment was deleted. There were some interesting points there. I looked forward to your response. Why did you delete it?
Hi Anon,
I appreciate comments, suggestions and feedback, and I included them, but I see nothing productive in an extended back and forth about the information in Richland’s February 26 report. Perhaps you could go to the Benton County Prosecutor and ask that his investigation cover the pieces you feel are missing from Richland’s investigation. Thank you for reading the Observer.
Good work here! Keep it going!
Hi Gary, I appreciate your comment. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy
I made comments on Randy’s repost of this on the Richland residents page. Some heard about those comments, found the Observer but were not able to find my comments so I thought I would share them on this page.
My initial comment pointed out that Sheriff Croskrey had worked at the Richland police department for years and knew the officer in question. I commented it would be nice to see Sheriff Croskrey’s actual letter to see if he made any misrepresentations. It would be easy to read Randy’s article as if there was.
After my comment, Randy added Sheriff Croskrey’s letter to the article. I read the letter. He identifies himself as the Benton County Sheriff and notes that he is writing about a former employee of the Richland police department. He makes a number of factual statements and no one has contested the accuracy of those comments. Sheriff Croskrey refers to employee as separating from service and not retiring from Richland police department. The article states that the employee retired. There may be a significant legal difference in whether it was separation vs retired.
So Sheriff Croskrey did not misrepresent himself and simply gave factual information. I believe government agencies such as the Criminal Justice Training Commission benefit from getting all information instead of limited information. If the decision turns on who sends the form in, the fault would seem to be with the Criminal Justice Training Commission not Sheriff Croskrey.
And of course the Richland police department changed their position to align with Sheriff Croskrey’s thoughts.
Pretty hard to see a crime here. Perhaps the Observer should look into the motives of the people pushing for it after the Washington State Patrol reviewed it?
And we should report the results of the investigation as strongly as we report the fact of the investigation.
Hi Andy, I appreciate your comments. Today the Herald published a article on the investigations that are underway. Check it out: https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/local/article287399955.html. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy
Yes, I read the article. Did you notice that Eisinger said that the Washington State Patrol suggested that he have another agency do the investigation? Your article said that the Washington State Patrol declined to investigate because after reviewing the report it found that there were no felony crimes involved? I am assuming that your article is accurate as you carefully read the public records.
Wouldn’t it have been better to tell the Herald the actual reason for WSP decision?
Reading the report and letter, it appears to me Sheriff Croskrey presented false statements as facts in his letter to the CJTC. Perhaps the people pushing for an investigation are tired of Sheriff Croskrey and his command staff doing alleged shady and unethical things, and just want transparency and facts out. Mr. Miller, do you any issues with transparency in these types of situation, or would it be better to just allow YCSO to do the internal review of policies Sheriff Croskrey asked his friends to do?
Hi TCT, I appreciate your comments. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy
Randy, Andy Miller, and TCT
Randy,
Thank you for providing the Croskrey letter for review.
Andy Miller,
Thank you for the 30 plus years service you gave to your fellow citizens in the Benton County.
I read the letter from 2 years and almost 3 months ago. From the information in this article and in the earlier Brigit Clary article in late March, the City of Richland was aware of the Croskrey letter years ago.
It appears that all of this recent activity surrounding the January 2022 letter came back because Brigit Clary lied to everyone from 2017 forward.
It appears as though because the City of Richland gets embarrassed for hiring a dirty cop (Brigit Clary) that the investigator Katherine Weber spent a lot of time on other issues in her report.
However, looking at the Katherine Weber report, she never stated that Sheriff Croskrey committed a crime.
WSP reviewed the matter and WSP didn’t find any felonies. (No one appears to be saying that WSP is Sheriff Croskrey “friend”.)
Andy Miller, you were the Benton County prosecutor for over thee decades and I understand why you are saying that Sheriff Croskrey committed no crime.
Looking at the letter, it says Jeff Bickford worked at Richland Police Department. and Sheriff Croskrey was the Sheriff in another department.
This appears to be true.
The letter says that Jeff Bickford was a cop for 10 years. This is true.
Sheriff Croskrey asks the people at the Criminal Justice Training Commission to call him if there are questions.
TCT,
I agree with the WSP and Andy Miller.
I guess I don’t understand where you are coming from, meaning I don’t understand your conclusion.
For the sake of transparency, maybe you could explain which statements are “false.” Everyone is entitled to an opinion, whether it makes sense or not.
Respectfully, your statement on the letter doesn’t make much sense.
Hi J., I appreciate your comments. Thank you for reading the Observer. …..Randy
J Calvert, I appreciate the respectful discussion and have no problem clarifying. The reason I was vague in my post was not wanting continue to bring up Bickford’s medical conditions. Since you asked though I will answer. The final two bullet points of Croskrey’s letter to CJTC are presented (in my opinion) as facts, however they are untrue. In both bullet points Croskrey claim Bickford had not been denied for LEOSA for reasons related to mental health. This is untrue. Bickford medically retired related to mental health issues which disqualifies him from LEOSA. This is all in the Weber report. Further when Bickford went to Croskrey for the letter he was already aware his agency had denied his LEOSA and the reasons. In Randy’s article it’s mentioned that Croskrey was interviewed by CJTC later on after he had sent a letter. Given this information provided by Randy’s article, EJ Swainson with CJTC documented “I explained it appeared that he and BCSO did not have the power or authority to provide a LEOSA endorsement. I read the law to Sheriff Croskrey explaining the section relating to leaving an agency for reasons of mental stress, in this case, PTSD. Sheriff Croskrey said RPD was wrong, that Bickford was fine.” Just because Croskrey believes RPD was wrong, doesn’t mean they were. Going by the laws regarding LEOSA RPD was correct. Another question I have regarding this is, if Bickford is “fine” per Sheriff Croskrey, why and how would he qualify for a medical retirement for mental health related reasons?
Beyond this issue there is a lot of other issues information that has been sent to various media outlets by several different persons reference Sheriff Croskrey. Randy has made a great start and hopefully the other issues will come to light too as there is a lot.
Hi TCT, I appreciate your comments. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy
When is Andy Miller going to retire? About sick of seeing his name continuing to pop up in Benton County PRRs. Arguing with the current prosecutor and sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. Croskrey just blew his credibility and i applaud Eisinger for doing the right thing and adding these crap cops to the Brady list (Miller would have never done this).
Hi Eric, I appreciate your comment. Thank you for reading the Observer. Randy