Poulsbo's deputy police chief wants to return to sergeant's position

Poulsbo’s deputy police chief wants to return to sergeant’s position

Poulsbo’s deputy police chief said he likes being a cop. But since he took on the No. 2 job in the department, he doesn’t feel like he is one anymore. And so John Halsted has asked the police chief and mayor to return him to his former job as a sergeant. He made the request Jan. 20; it’s being reviewed now by City Attorney Kylie Purves and the attorney for the police union, he said.

By Richard Walker • January 21, 2016 8:14 pm

Tags: North Kitsap

POULSBO — Poulsbo’s deputy police chief said he likes being a cop. But since he took on the No. 2 job in the department, he doesn’t feel like he is one anymore.

And so John Halsted has asked the police chief and mayor to return him to his former job as a sergeant. He made the request Jan. 20; it’s being reviewed now by City Attorney Kylie Purves and the attorney for the police union, he said.

“I don’t really get a lot of satisfaction out of being administrative, and so I’ve asked to go back,” he said.

Halsted, 45, became deputy police chief in February 2015, succeeding Bob Wright, who retired.

“It was a tough decision to accept the job,” Halsted said. “I thought I could handle the workload and get out on patrol. Now, I get out once a month. It’s not real gratifying for me to be behind a desk. I still really enjoy police work. I have 10 more years before I’m eligible for retirement and I like being out on the road with the other officers. This has been on my mind for six months.”

As deputy chief, Halsted earns about $102,000 a year; as sergeant, he earned “close to $95,000 or $97,000,” Police Chief Al Townsend said at the time of Halsted’s promotion. Sergeant is a protected civil service position; deputy chief is at will.

Halsted has been with Poulsbo PD for 19 years, based on a story about his appointment as deputy chief. Prior to that, he spent two years with the McCleary Police Department. Before becoming a sworn officer, Halsted served as a Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department corrections officer for three years, and also served as a reserve cadet and reserve police officer.

Halsted was American Legion Officer of the Year in 1998, was honored for his DUI arrest record by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and is credited with saving two lives — he administered CPR to a marathoner who collapsed during a race, and he saved a person who jumped from the Warren Avenue Bridge.

During his tenure at Poulsbo, he’s served as a K9 handler, a school resource officer, and an officer with the countywide SWAT team and the regional WestNET Drug Task Force.