EPHRATA, Wash. — Long-time Grant County Sheriff Tom Jones announced Tuesday that he will not be seeking re-election for a fourth term as the county's sheriff, according to a press release from the Grant County Sheriff's Office (GCSO).
Jones spent 30 years working in law enforcement. He began his service in 1992 with the Soap Lake Police Department before being hired by GCSO in 1997.
He is the current president of the Washington State Sheriff’s Association, vice president of Washington Association of Sheriff’s, and Police Chiefs, Executive Board Member with Behind the Badge Foundation.
During his time with GCSO, Jones served as a Corporal and Sergeant in the patrol division, as well as a Traffic Deputy, Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor, Patrol Procedures Instructor, and supervisor of the Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team.
Jones was elected as the Grant County Sheriff in 2010, beginning his first term on Jan. 1, 2011. His final term will end on Dec. 31, 2022.
Jones said serving as the sheriff has been an absolutely humbling experience and has allowed him to make some great friends.
"My choice not to seek re-election was a family decision and I am comfortable and excited about it. My goal was to leave the agency better than I found it," Jones said in a statement. "We have done that, and I would hope that the next person at the helm will continue the same vision. I will l let my accomplishments stand on their own.”
Some of Jones’s accomplishments include bringing back a robust K9 program, the drone program, and integrating the county’s emergency management agency and code enforcement tasks into GCSO.
He was also instrumental in promoting the sales tax for the construction of a new jail.