From: To: Subject: Date: Attachments:

Steve Cooley Daniel Gibson "Campaign to un-elect Sheriff Elfo" Facebook page Wednesday, October 19, 2011 10:16:40 AM Campaign.doc

Dan, The Sheriff wanted me to make you aware of some of the posts that have been made to the subject Facebook page. The page is obviously owned/being run by employees of the Sheriff's Office, including Deputy Paul Murphy. I believe the Sheriff's questions include: Is there anything that can be done about the group's identification of Sgt. Mede and the implications they are making about his motives for supporting the Sheriff? Given the letter the Sheriff previously sent to Murphy about the proper way to report wrongdoing by members of the Sheriff's Office, can he be held accountable for the numerous insinuations he continues to make in this public forum? While the Sheriff is mindful and supportive of the free speech issues at play here, this group of insiders continues to attack other members of the Sheriff's Office by name. Although they would likely claim their goal is simply to discredit the Sheriff, their attacks are arguably damaging the credibility of the others they are naming. The ability of those others to maintain credibility in the eyes of the public is critical to their ability to effectively do their jobs. Are these disgruntled employees crossing the line when they attribute conspiracy-fueled motives to what are completely lawful activities of their colleagues, most notably Sgt. Mede's personal endorsement of Sheriff Elfo? I am available to discuss any of this at your convenience. Steve __________________________ Steve Cooley Inspector Office of Professional Standards Whatcom County Sheriff's Office 311 Grand Ave. Bellingham, WA 98225 360-676-6650, Ext. 50425 Excellence - Integrity - Teamwork