Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff's Guild

01/09/2026

Thank you to all the men and women who leave their families everyday to protect our communities. Happy Law Enforcement Appreciation Day from the DSG.

01/08/2026

Looks like great snow conditions for skiiing! Watch out for those snow plows and if you have one two many at the lodge don’t risk driving on these roads! Photo credit to WCSO Forest Patrol Deputy.

12/21/2025

The Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff's Guild is saddened by the loss of Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting. Two other Troopers sitting in their vehicles were struck and injured over the weekend. Please help support your local Troopers, some who knew Topper Guting.

Deputies were on a DUI emphasis the night Trooper Guting was killed. They stopped a driver who failed to move over or slow while approaching a stationary emergency vehicle on the side of the road. He was discovered to be over 2 times the legal limit for alcohol.

Please move over, slow down and drive sober! Let's all help first responders make it home safely to their families this holiday season.

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The Washington State Patrol (WSP) confirms the tragic loss of Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting #720, who was killed Friday evening after being struck by a vehicle in Tacoma.

Trooper Guting was standing outside of her patrol car investigating a two-vehicle collision when she was struck just before 7:30 p.m. on southbound State Route 509 near milepost 2, south of the Port of Tacoma. Individuals on scene rendered aid, but the trooper ultimately succumbed to her injuries. The Tacoma Police Department (TPD) is taking over the investigation of the incident.

Trooper Guting, 29, began her career with the WSP as a trooper cadet in January 2024. She graduated with the 119th Trooper Basic Training Class, commissioning that same year on Oct. 30th. In that time, served in WSP District 1 in Tacoma.

Tara’s loss is deeply felt within the WSP family, and especially by her husband, Timothy, who himself serves as a Deputy State Fire Marshal at the WSP Fire Training Academy in North Bend.

Tara Guting was born on July 19, 1996, to Russell and Cheryl Hirata in Honolulu, Hawaii. She attended Mililani High School in Mililani, Hawaii, and graduated on May 25, 2014. She began a career of service by enlisting in the Army National Guard on Oct. 22, 2014, where she served honorably as a Signal Intelligence Analyst until Oct, 21, 2022. Her dedication to service and commitment to her duties were evident throughout her eight-year military career.

She married Timothy on Aug. 21, 2019, at the Fire Training Academy.

She answered her final call Friday night, marking the 34th time in WSP’s 105-year history that the agency lost one of its own in line of duty.

“My heartfelt condolences go out to Timothy, Tara’s extended family, her friends, her academy classmates, to District 1 Captain Gundermann, and his entire team,” said WSP Chief John R. Batiste. “We will never forget Badge #720 – Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting.

“The sky has poured rain on us all for the past two weeks… And with this loss, now tears flood our souls.”

12/08/2025

What an amazing and well run event! Many Guild members were in attendance with Officers, Troopers and Firefighters from around Whatcom County to support this great cause. Two Deputy Sheriff Guild members are on the board putting on countless hours to put this event on. Thank you for everyone's hard work and a special thanks to all the donors!

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This morning, Whatcom County First Responders traded in their gear for shopping carts and spent the morning shopping with about 140 local kiddos at Bellingham's Walmart. Seeing the smile on those little faces was the best part of the holiday season so far!

Project Santa is made possible by many generous donors, dozens of volunteers, the always-happy-to-help Walmart staff, and, of course Santa!

We'll post more photos in the next few days, but for now, we all need to rest!

Whew!

11/27/2025

The Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff's Guild wishes everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! We especially appreciate all the first responders working to keep us safe today.

10/14/2025

It is rare to find someone who is loved by everyone, and even more rare to have that person work in a law enforcement setting, but we had her. Our dear Altavia could light up a room and was known as family to so many at our department.

Altavia Chatman was an incredible woman, a hard working employee, an irreplaceable friend, and the life of any party. She was respected and appreciated, and she will be greatly missed.

Altavia helped every one of our Deputies throughout their entire careers. Her passing leaves a whole in all of our hearts.

We mourn with her family and hold each of them in our hearts during this difficult time.

10/12/2025

The Deputy Sheriff's Guild is so thankful our member was not seriously injured. We hope for a speedy recovery for both involved. Impairment, speeding and distracted driving are the top contributors to collisions. We would like to remind everyone to pay attention to the road, slow down and don't drive impaired.

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10/06/2025

Congratulations to former WCDSG President and Vice President Bryan Collins on his retirement after 30 years with the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. Bryan held numerous positions within the Sheriff's Office in addition to his stints as President and Vice President for the Guild Executive Board. Enjoy your well earned retirement Bryan!

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Let's take a moment to recognize retired Deputy Bryan Collins, who served with the Sheriff's Office for 30 years before retiring this summer. Please join us in congratulating him on his well-earned retirement after years of dedicated service to Whatcom County.

Photo: Sheriff Tanksley, Bryan Collins and Undersheriff Harris

09/26/2025

This is great news! Members of the Whatcom County Deputy Sheriff's Guild are proud to have assisted with the initial response, capture of the suspect, and ongoing investigation into this incident alongside our partners at the Lummi Nation Police Department. We hope for the continued recovery of the officer, department, and the whole Lummi Nation.



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‘It’s another example of his dedication to the profession and the community,’ police chief says