Darren Curtis brings extensive experience to Brewster Police Dept.

BREWSTER – The latest addition to the ranks of the Brewster Police Department comes with extensive experience in law enforcement. Darren Curtis, former Tonasket Police Chief and Okanogan County Sheriff’s deputy, joined the Brewster Police Department last November. He spent most of his career with Tonasket before jumping to the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office in 2018 and served there five years before coming to Brewster.

Brewster Police Chief Marcos Ruiz said the addition of Curtis brings the department up to capacity with a total of four deputies.

“Brewster has been lucky in getting good officers,” said Ruiz who appreciates seasoned deputies with people skills gained through years of interaction with the public.

“We pay a little more to hire laterally,” said Ruiz of attracting experienced deputies, “but it’s worth it in terms of potential liability.”

Experienced officers are less likely to make rookie mistakes that can result in expensive settlements stemming from poor judgement.

Curtis is “a great asset to the city,” said Ruiz and fits well with the chief’s philosophy of community-oriented policing.

“Right now, we have no real problems,” said Ruiz. “We’re keeping dopers out of the city.”

The problems cited in a recent news story about the homeless and vagrancy issues facing the City of Omak stand in stark contrast to conditions in Brewster.

“Ninety percent of the population is employed in Brewster,” explained Ruiz adding that since the closure of the Omak mill the principle industry there has been social services.

Curtis joins patrol officers CJ Harmier, Vernon Reyes, and Kevin Arnold, as the fourth officer on the patrol staff.

Chief Ruiz, a Brewster High School graduate, joined the Brewster Police Department in 2000 following service in the U.S. Army. He remained with the department until 2014 when he joined the Omak Police Department as a detective. He returned to Brewster as the Chief of Police in 2019.