District 1 Detachments

• Olympia/Thurston County Detachment
• Gig Harbor Detachment Office

District 1 Headquarters
Washington State Patrol's District 1 Headquarters is located in the Combined Transportation Facility, at 2502 112th Street East, in Tacoma, southeast of the Portland Avenue/Midland exit from State Route 512, in Pierce County.

Approximately 200 employees in this facility are assigned to traffic law enforcement, administrative support, electronic services, deputy fire marshals, communications, and traffic, auto theft and narcotics investigators' duties. Five line detachments perform traffic law enforcement and collision investigation on Interstate 5 and state routes in the Tacoma freeway and East Pierce County areas; a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement detachment conducts inspections and enforcement of semis, trailers, and commercial carriers. The Tacoma Crime Laboratory provides vital forensic investigatory services to State Patrol, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies. The Tacoma Vehicle Inspection Lane conducts Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspections and assists in rebuilt vehicle inspections by appointment.

The WSP shares the Combined Transportation Center with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Traffic Management Center, which includes central communications for the WSDOT Olympic Region, the freeway traffic camera system, and Incident Response Truck personnel. Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) administers driver licensing and hearings at this site, typically serving 7,000 to 9,000 customers per month.

Pierce County was established in 1852 by the Territorial Legislature and covers 1,679 square miles, with a population of over 713,000. There are 265.09 miles of state routes, 26.06 miles of interstate highway, and 570,761 registered vehicles. In addition to residents, many miles are driven by motorists commuting through the county, tourists en route to the mountains, the Sound, and other destinations, and students of Pacific Lutheran University, University of Puget Sound, Tacoma Community College, Pierce College, Clover Park Vocational/Technical College, Bates Technical College, and branches of Evergreen State College, Central Washington University, and University of Washington.

In addition to scenic, natural beauty and approximately 217 miles of salt water shoreline, Pierce County's notable sites include Mount Rainier, Commencement Bay, Tacoma Narrows Bridge (at 5,979 feet, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world), Fort Lewis Military Reservation, McChord Air Force Base, Camp Murray, the Tacoma Dome (the largest wooden dome arena in the world), Port of Tacoma, Point Defiance Park, the Western Washington Fair grounds in Puyallup, and the 600-acre Northwest Trek wildlife preserve.

Pierce County abounds in recreational opportunities, including boating and fishing on Puget Sound and area lakes and rivers; hiking, climbing, and sightseeing at Mount Rainier and many trail areas; sporting events, trade shows, and concerts at the Tacoma Dome; cultural and educational opportunities and events in Tacoma and surrounding areas, including the Washington State Historical Society Museum at Union Station, Tacoma Art Museum, International Museum of Glass, and the Spring Fair and Western Washington Fair in Puyallup. Crystal Mountain Ski Resort is located in Pierce County, east of Buckley, by way of State Route 410. During summer months, State Route 410 is open for travelers to visit the east side of Mount Rainier or over Chinook Pass to Yakima.

Established in 1852, Thurston County celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2002. It is the home to the state capitol in Olympia, with the Legislative Building, Executive Mansion, and State Capitol Visitor Center and capitol campus complex of state agency offices.

Thurston County covers approximately 727 square miles, with a population of over 210,000. There are 74.25 miles of state routes, 29.42 miles of interstate highway, and 208,701 registered vehicles. In addition to the inhabitants of the county, many miles are driven by state employees who travel through Thurston County to and from work at the state capitol campus and numerous state facilities, travelers passing through the county on Interstate 5, and tourists en route to Pacific Ocean beaches, coastal recreation, and attractions on the Olympic Peninsula.

The city of Olympia has a population of 39,188. The end of the Oregon Trail is commemorated in Sylvester Park in downtown Olympia. The Port of Olympia includes the Olympia Airport in Tumwater, a 5,000-foot airstrip which was created in 1927 and is among the oldest public airports in the country, and a marine terminal at Budd Inlet that can handle up to three cargo vessels at a time. South Puget Sound Community College, The Evergreen State College, and St. Martin's College serve the local area.

Thurston County boasts impressive views of Mount Rainier and the Olympic Mountains, an abundance of recreational and educational activities that include the annual Thurston County Fair, Olympic Flight Museum, State Capitol Museum, Olympia Farmer's Market, and Capitol Lake Fish Ladder.

The city of Lacey, population 31,600, is located on the southern end of Puget Sound, between Fort Lewis and Olympia.

The town of Yelm has a population of over 2,500 and is one of Washington's fastest growing small cities. Just 17 miles east of Olympia and 25 miles south of Tacoma, State Routes 507 and 510 meet here, and Yelm is approximately a half hour from Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, and an hour from ocean beaches and Mount Rainier.

One detachment of six line troopers and a sergeant are assigned to the Gig Harbor Detachment Office at 1701 24th Street Northwest, in Gig Harbor. The detachment office is not staffed with administrative support personnel and is not currently open to the public.

The Gig Harbor detachment troopers are responsible to conduct traffic enforcement on state routes and the interstate in the northwest corner of Pierce County on the Kitsap Peninsula, on the bridges spanning the Tacoma Narrows, and in the west Tacoma area. Enforcement activities include speed, driving under the influence, aggressive driving, safety restraint use, collision investigation, and toll enforcement response on the Narrows Bridges.

This area encompasses the Puget Sound maritime city of Gig Harbor, many small, historical waterfront communities, and the two spans across the Narrows which provide a connection for millions of commuters, boaters, and recreational enthusiasts drawn to the natural attractions and outdoor activities available on the Kitsap Peninsula and beyond to the Olympics. The existing bridge opened in 1950, replacing its predecessor, “Galloping Gertie,” which collapsed in 1940. It is the fifth longest bridge in the nation, at 5,979 feet in length. After five years of construction, the newest span across the Narrows opened to traffic on July 16, 2007 and is 5,400 feet in length.

The Gig Harbor detachment partners with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Tacoma Police Department, Gig Harbor and local police departments, Washington State Department of Transportation, and other government and private entities to provide enforcement, security and exceptional customer service to commuters, visitors and the members of the community in their patrol area.