Police chief outlines rising calls and hiring plan as department faces vacancies

Lake Stevens Police Chief presented the department’s budget priorities and operational pressures at the Sept. 29 workshop.

"We've seen an increase in calls for service over 12%," the chief said, adding arrests are up approximately 30% and that booking an arrested person into jail now costs in excess of $1,000. The chief said the department is currently down five sworn positions and has adjusted recruiting processes to speed candidate throughput, including a recent shift to Guardian software to manage personal-history submissions.

The department proposed concentrating on filling the five funded vacancies rather than immediately adding new authorized positions; chief and staff also listed cost-saving measures, including altering fleet replacement cycles (considering extending patrol vehicle replacement to 120,000 miles or seven years for leased vehicles) and reducing out‑of‑state training. The police budget presentation also included a request to reclassify an administrative manager position based on expanded duties.

Julie Hubert, the department administrative manager (introduced by the chief), walked council through detailed budget lines showing modest decreases in some equipment and supplies and described how the department balanced supply and service costs while maintaining key safety programs. Staff will return with additional hiring timelines and detailed fleet-replacement analysis.