Editor,

Saturday’s South Whidbey Record editorial about the tragic death of Keaton Farris while in our jail was well-balanced and set a good tone. My heart aches for all concerned, and for our community.

I would only add that I know Island County Sheriff Mark Brown to be a man of integrity, intelligence and compassion. No one could be more determined to fix the failures in the system than Brown, and he is without question the right man for the job.

Beyond that, as you noted, some of the issues that surround this tragedy are beyond the scope of the Sheriff’s Office or of Island County. Those issues must be addressed cooperatively across agencies and citizens’ groups if they are to be changed.

Meanwhile, let’s support Sheriff Brown as he works to dig into what underlies the mistakes and failures and to make whatever changes need to be made.

CATHERINE BALLAY

Coupeville