Olympia Jail suspends operations due to COVID-19

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Interim Police Chief Rich Allen ordered the suspension of operations at the City of Olympia Municipal Jail Thursday, January 6, due to COVID-19 infections among jail staff and inmates. Based on the guidance of the Thurston County Health Department, operations will remain suspended for 10 days.

Olympia Police Department (OPD) staff have been working with the Health Department on protocols and precautions to mitigate the spread of the virus in the jail. However, the decision to suspend jail operations was driven by the continued spread of the virus among staff and inmates and a shortage of staff well enough to operate the jail safely and effectively.

“The health and welfare of our staff and the inmates we care for are of the utmost concern,” said Allen. “We will continue to work with the Health Department to facilitate a safe return to operations.”

The City’s Municipal Court held a special session to determine the status of the inmates. Two of the lowest risk inmates were released by the Court. The remaining four inmates were transferred to the Lewis County Jail. Due to the pandemic, the number of inmates booked in the jail has been kept low.

OPD will work with the Health Department to reevaluate the status of the jail after the 10-day period is complete, which will be after the Martin Luther King Holiday.

OPD’s patrol operations are not affected by the outbreak. Police officers and Crisis Response Units will respond to emergency calls as needed.

The Olympia Municipal Jail is a 28-bed holding facility for those charged with misdemeanor offenses.

This was provided by the City of Olympia at 4:01 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2022

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