The Tumwater Police Department responded Wednesday to public criticism of its decision to reassign one of its two school resource officers due to staff shortages.
The police department, helmed by Acting Police Chief Carlos Quiles, announced the reassignment on Feb. 21, citing a need to maintain minimum patrol levels.
“It was, quite simply, the last available option to preserve essential patrol staffing,” Quiles states in the Feb. 21 news release.
The department currently has eight vacancies, according to Quiles. Four of those vacancies occurred this year, though Quiles said the staffing shortage has “been building” since late 2024.
Quiles became acting chief in January after first-term Mayor Leatta Dalhoff opted to replace Chief Jay Mason when she took office.
Quilles said that the staffing conditions were “inherited by new city and department leadership.”
He added that restoring a second school resource officer “will be the first specialty assignment we reestablish” once it has enough fulltime patrol officers.
Quiles published an update on March 4, noting that “some misinformation has been circling, along with calls for greater transparency and planning.”
He stated that the department is “aware of the concerns raised by many in the community,” reiterating that “this decision was not made lightly” and that filling department vacancies and restoring the second school resource officer position are the department’s highest priorities.
He added that the department has increased its recruitment efforts, conducting more frequent applicant interviews, accelerating background investigations and streamlining the hiring process.
“This work retires time, persistence, and a commitment to hiring high quality officers who best serve our community. Police staffing issues are not unique to Tumwater, but one that most departments face throughout the state,” Quiles said. “We sincerely appreciate the community’s support, partnership, and understanding as we navigate these challenges together. Thank you for standing with us as we work to rebuild and strengthen the Tumwater Police Department.”
Officer Seth Stauffer is currently serving as the lone school resource officer for both high schools and both middle schools within the Tumwater School District.
“He is a dedicated and highly capable officer who is performing exceptionally well in this role,” Quiles said in his Feb. 21 statement. “He has my full confidence, and our department remains committed to ensuring that any concerns, incidents, or emergencies within our schools are addressed promptly by Officer Stauffer and our patrol personnel.”
The Tumwater school resource officer program had been in place for 15 years as of July 2025, according to reporting by Jolt News. The program was expanded from one to two officers in 2016.
Neighboring district North Thurston Public Schools partners with the Lacey Police Department and Thurston County Sheriff’s Office to put three school resource officers in its schools, and the Olympia School District began exploring a renewed partnership with the Olympia Police Department for school resource officers in 2023 after pausing the program in 2020.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office also provides school resource officers for the Rochester School District and the Rainier School District. The Thurston County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday renewed contracts with those districts through the 2028-2029 school year.
