One of Whidbey Island’s finest and best-known law enforcement officers is sporting a new badge and uniform.

Laura Price, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, is the Island County Sheriff’s Office’s new detective sergeant.

The position essentially quarterbacks the department’s five-man — and now one woman — team of detectives.

They work to solve Whidbey’s most serious cases, everything from homicides and bank robberies to sex crimes and narcotics violations.

“There’s some big decisions that are made on a regular basis,” Lt. Evan Tingstad said.

“It’s a big deal to even be considered.”

Tingstad was Price’s superior at the sheriff’s office’s south precinct in Freeland, where she served as patrol sergeant for the past two years. Known for being easy going and friendly, she was liaison to the public and media, and was responsible for coordinating and providing leadership to precinct road deputies.

Leaving patrol was a tough decision. It’s satisfying work and she’ll miss the regular interaction with the community, she said.

Price said she knows from personal experience that being a detective can be soul-taxing work; she was a detective specializing in child abuse and sex crimes for five years before requesting a transfer to the road in Freeland.

But, when she was asked to come back this time to lead the team, she couldn’t refuse.

There’s important work to be done, she said, and she’s a cop.

It’s who she is.

“I’m here because I’m supposed to be here,” Price said.

Price takes over for Rick Felici, who left the detective sergeant’s position in 2015 to become the sheriff’s office’s chief criminal deputy.

It’s a challenging job, he said of Price’s new post, one with a lot of hats.

In addition to supervising detectives, Price will head up special projects, continue to liaison with the public and media, and manage the sex-offender registry.

“Her rank is not necessarily commensurate with her responsibilities,” Felici said.

Price said the hardest part is hanging up the ole green deputy uniform and transitioning back to being a plain-clothes cop.

“The toughest decision is trying to decide what to wear in the morning.”