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A Message to the Public from the SMART Executive Board

Community members please take this opportunity to review the below message from the SMART executive board.  This letter highlights the SMART investigative process and limitations presented under State law (Link: WAC 139-12-030:) to conduct investigations into law enforcement involved deadly use of force and communicate investigative updates in a timely and transparent manner with stakeholders.

SMART Investigations

Skagit and Island County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART)

The Skagit and Island County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART) is a team of investigators, evidence technicians, records specialists, and public information officers from various Skagit and Island County law enforcement agencies and Washington State Patrol who respond to and investigate law enforcement deadly use of force incidents. The goals of the team are:

  • To promote public trust by conducting professional and consistent multi-jurisdictional investigations of major incidents, primarily law enforcement involved fatalities and serious injury incidents.
  • To maximize the availability and sharing of the latest technological equipment and techniques.
  • To consolidate and share the skills of the most experienced supervisors and investigators.
  • To conduct thorough investigations in as timely a fashion as is feasible under the circumstances.

Team Activation

The team is activated when a Chief of Police or Sheriff requests a consultation from the SMART Commander, who then determines (based on previously established protocol) whether SMART will investigate the incident. When an investigation is complete, it is forwarded to the Skagit or Island County Prosecuting Attorney for review and to determine if criminal laws were broken. The team operates on established policy and procedures which can be reviewed here.

Oversight

Oversight of the team is conducted by an Executive Board which is comprised of:

SMART Investigators

SMART investigators are selected for their training and expertise in criminal investigations, basic homicide investigations, crime scene investigations, Interviewing and Interrogation training, officer-involved shooting investigations, and in-custody death investigations. The team meets regularly to train and debrief on active investigations. A roster of active team members  is available to the public.

Media Relations, News Releases & Public Records Requests

SMART Public Information Officers (PIOs):

Sgt. Michael Lumpkin
mikel@burlingtonwa.gov
(360) 755-2308

SMART Public Records Requests:

Annette Lindquist, Administrative Chief, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, 360-416-1906