Editor,

Immediately after the recent Burlington mall shooting, the Skagit County Multi Agency Response Team focused its efforts on finding the person believed responsible for this heinous crime.

When the investigative team identified a suspect with ties to Oak Harbor, this information was passed on to the Oak Harbor Police Department and Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Ultimately, a dangerous fugitive within our community was taken into custody and arrested without incident by Oak Harbor police officers and Island County deputies.

This is not the first time that such a collaborative effort between our respective agencies resulted in the immediate apprehension of a homicide suspect or dangerous felon.

As I reflect on these events, I am moved to comment on how well the city police department and sheriff’s office have worked together over the years. Sharing information and resources in solving crimes and making high profile arrests is not a new concept in Island County. We share in our responsibility for community safety and protecting each other when an emergency happens.

Needless to say, I am extremely proud to be a part of this valuable team. Certainly our state and federal partners did their due diligence in releasing timely suspect information to their local partners further expanding the team networking needed for quick resolution of such incidents.

Mark Brown

Island County sheriff