My name is professor Gregory Gilbertson (retired).
Many of you reading this letter know me. You were my students. Your children or grandchildren were my students.
For nearly 23 years, it was my privilege to be a member of your community and serve as the faculty director of the Centralia College criminal justice program. I retired from teaching on March 18, 2022. During my tenure at Centralia College, I was also employed by Saint Martin’s University as a criminal justice instructor for 11 years; as a private investigator for 12 years; as an international police trainer and advisor in Iraq and Afghanistan for two years during active warfare; and as an expert witness in police misconduct for the eight years.
Over the past 12 years, I have consulted as an expert witness with law firms in 43 states on over 230 cases. I have testified as an expert witness in many state and federal courts. My casework has helped secure $42 million in damages for victims of officer misconduct.
While I lived and worked in Lewis County for nearly 23 years, I came to know and admire Sheriff Robert Snaza. I first met Sgt. Snaza in 2002 as a private investigator working with a local attorney on a criminal matter. I was immediately impressed with his honesty, humor, gracious demeanor and professionalism. As the years went by, and he advanced through the ranks, my respect and admiration for him grew exponentially.
Once he was elected sheriff, I asked Rob to serve as chairperson the Centralia College Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. Rob accepted immediately and served for many years with honor and distinction in this role. My students and I relied on Sheriff Snaza to provide us with his steady and insightful guidance and experience. Rob frequently volunteered as a guest lecturer in the classroom. My students adored him. He hired many of our students. Over the years, Rob and I became good friends, colleagues and allies, and remain so today.
I have closely followed recent articles in The Chronicle where some individuals have alleged that Sheriff Snaza is somehow involved in criminality. The very thought that Robert Snaza would ever betray his office, his family or the public’s trust by engaging in illegal or unethical conduct is absolutely absurd.
Moreover, I’m familiar with some of the individuals making these unfounded and baseless allegations. I am shocked and disappointed by their behavior.
Further, I challenge anyone that has credible evidence of misconduct or criminality by Sheriff Snaza to immediately present their evidence to Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, the Washington state attorney general or the FBI. As no evidence has been brought forward to date, one can reasonably infer that anyone making these allegations has other motives.
In the hypothetical, an individual seeking election to sheriff, who also knew the current sheriff was retiring, might wish to prompt the sheriff’s early retirement by making false allegations of criminality against them. The motive for these allegations would be to force the current sheriff through a “whispering campaign” into early retirement.
In this hypothetical, an individual seeking election to sheriff could then seek appointment by the county commissioners as interim sheriff. An appointment as interim sheriff would allow this individual to serve as interim sheriff for several months before the November election. The appointed interim sheriff would then have a significant advantage over all other candidates for sheriff; the ability to campaign as the incumbent sheriff in both the primary and general election. Of course, this is just a hypothetical premise. Just my random thoughts.
What I can say with absolute certainty is this — during my career, I have been privileged to work closely with hundreds of remarkable police officers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, Denmark, Czech Republic, Norway, Iraq and Afghanistan. Therefore, I can say without doubt or reservation that Sheriff Robert Snaza is one of the very finest individuals and most capable law enforcement officers I have ever known.
He is incapable of betraying his colleagues, his family, his friends or the community he has faithfully served for more than three decades.
Sheriff Snaza, his wife, Jennie, and their children deserve your sincere thanks and gratitude for a lifetime of courageous, loyal and faithful public service.
Gregory Gilbertson
Naples, Florida
