Klickitat County’s posse faces changes under new law and sheriff retirement

For more than a decade, a group of volunteers has helped support law enforcement in Klickitat County – sometimes while armed. Now the future responsibilities of that sheriff’s posse are in question.

A new Washington state law has imposed stricter requirements on law enforcement volunteers. And one of the posse’s biggest supporters, Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer, is planning to retire next year – raising questions about his replacement’s support for the program.

The Klickitat County sheriff’s posse has operated since 2015 to support a department with limited staff. The group helps with a range of duties, including crime watch, courtroom security, using dogs to hunt “problem predators” like cougars, and helping spot wildfires as volunteer pilots.

The 179 current posse members logged more than 8,000 volunteer hours last year, according to Songer.

“It’s a real cost savings to the citizens of the county,” Songer said.

However, some critics have raised concerns over liability – asking who is accountable if something goes wrong when volunteers with limited training assist law enforcement.

Around 25-30 posse members carry firearms, according to Songer, who is an ardent 2^nd Amendment, gun-rights supporter.

Songer also considers himself to be a “constitutional sheriff,” a belief that sheriffs are responsible for upholding the Constitution and their enforcement powers supersede those of other officers or government officials within their county’s jurisdiction.

Now, the posse faces two potential changes – one in state law and the other in local leadership.

Earlier this year, the Washington Legislature passed Senate Bill 5974, a law aimed at modernizing eligibility requirements for candidates running for sheriff.

The law, which is currently being challenged in two lawsuits, also imposes new requirements on volunteers who assist in those departments.

It says volunteer posse members cannot carry firearms unless they complete peace officer training and maintain certification requirements.

The law also stops posses from using dogs to track animals.

Klickitat County posse members who are hound handlers currently use dogs to hunt predators, including cougars, bobcats, and bears.

These animals are common in rural areas of Southwest Washington County, and they occasionally go after resident livestock and even domestic pets, Songer said.

After nearly six decades working in law enforcement, 80-year-old Songer is retiring next year, marking another change that could affect the future of a posse that operated with his support.

“Will I miss it? Absolutely, I’ll miss it, but it’s time,” Songer said. “It’s time for younger blood.”

Sheriff candidates support reforms

As of Wednesday morning, three people had filed to run for Songer’s seat. Candidates for the next sheriff of Klickitat County have until Friday to file.

Two are Republicans, and the third is running as an Independent, but under Washington state’s top-two primary election system, they’ll all appear on the same Aug. 4 primary ballot.

The two candidates with the most votes, regardless of political party, will advance to the general election in November.

The Republican candidates have both said they are willing to change the posse’s duties as required by the new Washington state law.

The third candidate, Dwayne Matulovich, who is running for sheriff as an Independent, did not respond to an interview request.

Tony Warren, a Republican candidate running to replace Songer, is currently a detective sergeant with the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office. Warren said he disagrees with the law’s stricter eligibility requirements for sheriff candidates, but he’s open to updating the duties of posse members.

“They do provide a lot of service to the county. They save us a lot of money,” Warren said.

“I legitimately do have concerns with some of the posse being armed,” he added, citing situations when volunteers carry firearms while assisting during wildfire response situations and when providing roadblocks.

“They do need more training,” Warren said.

Fellow Republican candidate John Bruce, who was previously the police chief in Richland, Washington, said he doesn’t have concerns about the Klickitat County posse.

But he would update their responsibilities to comply with the new state law if he were elected in November, he said.

“The posse does a lot of good stuff,” Bruce said. “Especially in emergency situations, manning barricades, redirecting traffic, helping with the evacuations.”

“We’re going to follow the new law,” he said.

It’s not clear yet if the law will stay in place.

The Washington State Sheriff’s Association and a group of four sheriffs from eastern Washington each filed lawsuits challenging it. They argue that SB 5974’s eligibility requirements, which limit who can run for sheriff, are unconstitutional.

If the law withstands these legal challenges, or if the provision specific to posses is upheld, it will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.