Sheriff: Cyberattack hasn't slowed emergency response

CHELAN — Chelan County Sheriff's Office operations have continued largely uninterrupted despite the cyberattack that has disabled county email, phone and computer systems for weeks, Sheriff Mike Morrison told the Chelan City Council on June 9.

Morrison's annual update came as county departments continue recovering from a malware incident first detected in late May. The outage has affected email, phone service and internal computer systems across county government, including systems used by the Sheriff's Office to track reports, statistics and other operational data.

As a result, Morrison said the agency's annual report for 2025 remains inaccessible.

"We were in the midst of completing our 2025 annual report, which we've done every single year since we've been in office," Morrison said. "Unfortunately, that is also stuck in the cloud that we're not able to access."

While administrative systems remain affected, Morrison said patrol operations, emergency response and criminal investigations have continued throughout the outage.

"You have not seen a decrease in our call response time," he said. "We still have our deputies out there."

The sheriff cited several recent incidents, including a shooting investigation that resulted in an arrest within 24 hours and a rape investigation that led to a suspect being taken into custody. Deputies have also continued responding to wildfires, search-and-rescue operations and routine calls for service throughout the county.

Morrison said the agency entered 2026 at full staffing and currently has one more deputy than its authorized staffing level, a position he described as unusual at a time when many law enforcement agencies across Washington continue to struggle with recruitment and retention.

"We've come into 2026 with full staffing," Morrison said. "We're actually one above full staffing."

Morrison also highlighted continued investments in training and equipment, including body-worn cameras, in-car camera systems, drones, night-vision equipment and de-escalation tools intended to reduce the likelihood of deadly force encounters.

One recent example occurred near Orondo, where deputies used less-lethal munitions and other tactics to take an armed suspect into custody following a vehicle pursuit.

"If we had gone back 10 to 15 years ago, we would have shot that subject," Morrison said. "Again, peaceful resolution."

The sheriff also expressed concern about uncertainty surrounding state distribution of federal drug enforcement funding. He said the county's Columbia River Drug Task Force relies in part on federal Byrne-JAG funding distributed through the Washington State Department of Commerce, but local agencies have yet to receive expected allocations.

To maintain operations, Chelan County commissioners have directed opioid settlement funds toward supporting the task force for the next two years, Morrison said.

Marine Patrol Sgt. Rob Huddleston also provided an update on preparations for the summer boating season on Lake Chelan.

Huddleston said Marine Patrol recently participated in boating safety fairs in Wenatchee and Leavenworth, upgraded electronics aboard Marine One and is preparing to install additional no-wake buoys on the lake, including replacements in the Lakeside area.

He warned boaters to remain alert for floating debris that continues to move throughout the lake following spring runoff.

"If you are in a jet ski or anything jet propelled, just be careful," Huddleston said.

Marine Patrol personnel were also completing annual training this week in preparation for what officials expect will be another busy summer season.

Morrison said the county is pursuing replacement of the aging Marine One patrol vessel, which is more than 25 years old. He credited U.S. Rep. Kim Schrier with helping secure approximately $747,000 in potential federal funding for the replacement.

The sheriff also noted that Schrier previously helped secure approximately $713,000 in federal funding for de-escalation equipment and training tools used by the department.

Chelan Mayor Erin McArdle thanked the sheriff's office for its work in the city, noting that recent community surveys have consistently shown strong public confidence in local safety.

"That is directly attributed to the work you and your team do here in the city of Chelan," McArdle said.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media