Traffic stops are way up and vehicle accidents are markedly down in Kittitas County.

In a news release this week, the Kittitas County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) says its deputies have conducted more traffic stops in the first three quarters of 2025 (Jan.-Sept.) than during any other span of nine months in its lengthy history.

The agency is crediting the sizeable increase to additional patrols provided through grant funding it received from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, as well as contracts to perform enforcement detail on lands belonging to the Bureau of Land Management, and what it's calling "Power Shifts" - which are strategically-scheduled patrols which occur during peak travel hours.

In all, KCSO deputies made 4,306 traffic stops during the first nine months of this year -

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