Undersheriff Bomkamp Appointed Sheriff After Pastor Retires

PIERCE COUNTY, WA — Pierce County will have a new sheriff for the next eight weeks.

On Wednesday, longtime Pierce Count Sheriff Paul Pastor stepped down from his position to enter retirement. Pastor had initially planned to retire earlier, but had postponed his retirement to September 30 to support the county through the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Tacoma News Tribune. Three weeks ago, he announced he would be retiring on September 30.

On the day of his retirement, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department took to Twitter to celebrate Pastor's 19 years as the head of the department.

Two candidates will be on the November ballot to replace Pastor: Cyndie Fajardo, former President of the Pierce County Deputy Sheriffs Guild, and Ed Troyer, the current public information officer for the department.

However, until the votes are cast and counted, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department will need a sheriff. On Thursday, the Pierce County Council announced that the role would be filled by current Undersheriff Brent Bomkamp.

In a statement, the council explained their decision to appoint Bomkamp because of his recent work with Pastor and other Pierce County leadership:

"As undersheriff, Bomkamp worked directly with Pastor, the department’s senior leadership team and other county departments outside the sheriff’s office. The Council appointed him to the position because he brings continuity to the department."

Bomkamp has served with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department since he joined in 1989 as a patrol deputy. Since then, he has worked in several positions, including as the chief of the Administrative Services Bureau before being appointed as the undersheriff in 2017.

“We chose Bomkamp for his qualifications, his commitment to maintain the existing leadership team within the department, his strong relationships within the county and his knowledge of the issues currently facing the department,” Council Vice Chairman Dave Morell said.

Bomkamp's appointment to sheriff took effect immediately after the announcement. He is expected to serve as the county's sheriff for roughly eight weeks, until the results of the November election can be certified. When that happens, the winner will immediately take control of the sheriff's department until their term officially begins on January 1, 2021.