Sheriff Cumming files for re-election

San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming announced last week that he will be running for re-election.

Cumming, 58, was first elected to the office in 1987, which makes him one of the most senior sheriffs in the state. An honors graduate from the School of Criminology at the University of California at Berkeley, he began his career in the criminal justice system more than 35 years ago.

Cumming characterizes himself as criminal justice specialist, having worked in prisons and in juvenile parole and probation positions, in addition to being the county sheriff for roughly 20 years.

“For a small county, the level of service to our citizens — be it law enforcement, EMS, or fire — is simply of the highest caliber available anywhere in the country," Cumming said.

Cumming currently sits as the chairman of the LERN board (Law Enforcement Radio Network for Island, Skagit, Whatcom and San Juan Counties), is the vice-chairman and state law enforcement representative to the Washington State Parks Safe Boating Council, and is the current chairman of the Island Park and Recreation District Board of Commissioners, also known as Island Rec. He also has coached Little League Baseball for 15 years, and currently umpires both the Little League and the Senior Little League ball games. He is currently a licensed U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer/Master of 100-Ton Vessels, and as a polygraph operator through the American Polygraph Association.

Cumming is married to Maude, his wife of 23 years, and they have two college-aged sons, Dan and Tim.