Benton sheriff scoffs at deputies calling him a tyrant and dehumanizing leader

Benton County Sheriff Jerry Hatcher wants to meet with union representatives about a scathing letter that says he has lost the support of a majority of his law enforcement staff.

The Benton County Deputy Sheriff’s Guild on Sunday night compared Hatcher to a tyrant who only cares about his personal image.

It said an overwhelming number of its members — deputies, corporals, sergeants and lieutenants — returned a “no confidence” vote.

The letter said the union was left with no choice but to take this action. It was addressed to Hatcher and the county commissioners.

On Monday, Hatcher said he was blindsided and disappointed by the accusations.

“I’ve always had an open-door policy, and unfortunately in this case I haven’t had any of them come in and express any concerns, so I’m looking forward to hearing what the real issues are,” he told the Tri-City Herald. “The letter is pretty vague, and unfortunately when you’re the sheriff you get blamed for everything.”

Hatcher said he believes it is “a small nucleus of people within the sheriff’s office that feel this way.”

He said he has reached out to the union’s five key board members and asked for a meeting. He said he hopes they can work together and better communicate in the future.

Benton County Commission Chairman Jim Beaver said he couldn’t comment on the guild’s letter Monday because he has not yet seen it.

Hatcher, as an elected official, can only be removed from office by the voters in a recall.

‘Unified guild’

The guild vote comes three months after Benton County commissioners voted 2-1 to take the jail away from Hatcher, and four months since his estranged wife accused Hatcher of strangling her when she confronted him about an affair.

The union — referring to itself as a “unified guild” — wrote that the vote was regretful because its members are dedicated professionals and taking this position against their boss goes against their nature.

“We also fear there will be retaliation from you, whether it be overt or subtle, and we are very concerned about the intimidation and retaliation this stance will likely bring to the guild members,” the letter said.

Before Hatcher was appointed in May 2017, the sheriff’s office “had a vibrant culture” that promoted both organizational and individual success. The agency was well respected in the region and across the state.

Since he took the reins, that has been destroyed and replaced with a hostile and negative work environment.

The guild complained that Hatcher’s treatment of employees is “unprofessional and dehumanizing.”

“We can best define you as a Tyrant. You exercise your power similar to that of an oppressive dictator,” the guild wrote.

“Deputies and supervisors are frustrated, and deeply saddened by your lack of both leadership and professionalism. The atmosphere in the office can only be described as depressing, stressful and plagued with heavy negativity.”

Hatcher said he doesn’t get the chance to see morale issues in his department because most of his daily business is done through his command staff.

He described the sheriff’s office as a “paramilitary organization” and said while he works closely with that command staff, it is then up to them to push the directives down through the sergeants and corporals.

Communication issues

Hatcher said this letter leaves him wondering if the message is making it to the deputies working the streets.

“It could be simply that the communication is not being portrayed in the right way, and so we’re going to work very hard on that,” he said.

Hatcher explained that he has reallocated his patrol forces to better protect the 1,800 square miles they cover, which has led to a six-minute decrease in response times to calls.

At the same time, he has had to adjust staffing to handle court security since that job was moved to the sheriff’s office when commissioners took over the jail.

He’s also opened his lobby during lunch hours, which inconvenienced clerical staff, and made changes to their phone system so callers always talk to a person, Hatcher said.

“Our priority is public safety and making sure that we put our resources and personnel in the right location so that we have the right response in any type of emergency out there,” said Hatcher. “Unfortunately, sometimes that causes a little bit of turmoil in our agency.”

Change is difficult, he said. He wishes his employees would have had a direct conversation with him because most grievances can be easily fixed, he said.

“I think my mistake in this whole thing is trying to work on what the community needs and not, I guess, watching how my command staff implemented all the changes, knowing it does cause a little bit of turmoil,” Hatcher said. “I think that I need to be more hands on with delivering the message to the line staff so they understand our standards.”

“This is us becoming a more modern sheriff’s office that is responding to our community and our growing safety needs,” he added.

High expectations

Hatcher said he is proud of the men and women who work in the sheriff’s office and thinks they do a great job.

“I want the citizens to understand that I am going to continue to have high expectations, high standards, and we’re going to continue to push those out and make sure that we’re delivering efficient and effective service,” he said. “We make sure our top priority is the service we give our community.”

The union pointed out Hatcher’s posts on the agency’s Facebook page and said they are often self-promoting and designed to show that he cares for the community.

“This is a complete farce; you in no way behave in that manner with your deputies or staff,” the letter said. “Your image is the only thing you are concerned about and it shows.”

“We see you personally taking credit for the hard work and dedication of the members of this agency,” it continued. “We feel that those accomplishments are achieved in spite of your leadership, not because of your leadership.”

Hatcher was put on notice that he is not allowed to meet independently with any guild member about the vote.

“If you wish to meet with any Guild member it will be done with a second member present or legal counsel. This includes all ranks from Lieutenant to the lowest ranking deputy in our office,” said the letter.

Independent investigation sought

And the union is calling for an independent internal investigation into allegations he assaulted his estranged wife.

Representatives say they are “extremely disheartened” that Hatcher is refusing to hold himself to the same standard of accountability as he would a deputy.

A protection order has been in place in the couple’s divorce case, which required the sheriff to surrender all guns, dangerous weapons and concealed pistol licenses.

He has emphatically denied hurting his wife, Monica Hatcher, and said an investigation into the allegations was politically motivated.

Hatcher was briefly charged in October in Benton County Superior Court but Spokane County prosecutors dismissed the charges after one week, saying detectives needed more time.

One day after he was criminally charged, the four unions representing Benton County Sheriff’s Office employees called for Hatcher’s resignation.

At the time, Hatcher told the Herald that something going on in his personal life “has no bearing on what goes on inside the sheriff’s office.”

The county commissioners have been operating the Benton County Corrections Department since Oct. 23.

Hatcher repeatedly asked them to return the jail to him at a series of contentious meetings that followed the takeover, but Commissioners Jim Beaver and Jerome Delvin have stood firm on their initial decision.

In December, the Benton County Republican Party told commissioners they should reverse their hasty decision and start over with a financial analysis and citizen input. Beaver and Delvin again said there was no going back.

This story was originally published February 3, 2020 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Benton sheriff scoffs at deputies calling him a tyrant and dehumanizing leader."