I got to admit, I did a double take when I read your “Editor’s column” in the Jan. 31 Whidbey News-Times about Island County juveniles letting us down. It was an excellent article stating that Island County’s new juvie jail has been half empty since it opened last year. Its satire failed to mention one important issue, however.

That is, crime has not gone down in Island County. Criminals are still doing crimes and are still being arrested. The police are not all hanging out at the local donut shop because they don’t have anything to do.

But rather, the prosecution of those that commit crimes in Island County has basically stopped. You can’t go to jail if you haven’t been charged or convicted.

How can a prosecutor’s office with 90 percent of its experienced deputy prosecutors having left or been fired because they voted for the other guy in this last year’s election handle the everyday workload requirements of that department? Gregory Banks is solely responsible for the lack of justice that Island County victims of crimes now face because charges are dismissed, improperly filed or never filed because of strife in that department. Lawsuits have been filed against Gregory Banks for his behavior and Island County ultimately will be footing the bill when they are settled.

It would be very interesting to know just how much of a drop in cases have been filed since this year’s contentious election. So Jim, my only suggestion: A better title for your opinion piece should have been, “How Banks is again, letting all of us down.”

Mark Schemmer

Oak Harbor