Chief: University of Washington Police would join small-agency coalition on one-year trial

The Snoqualmie Public Safety Committee heard from the chief about a proposed addendum to the interlocal agreement that governs a coalition of small police agencies formed in 2002 to pool training resources and operate a major-crimes task force.

The chief said the coalition originally included roughly a dozen agencies and named several participants; the group coordinates training (including emergency vehicle operations) and supplies investigators for serious crimes. He told the committee the University of Washington Police Department has asked to join the coalition and is offering officers for mutual aid, EVOC instructors and immediate participation on the major-crimes task force. The chiefs recommend a one-year trial period to evaluate the partnership before any longer-term admission.

The chief said grant funding and the King County criminal-justice training center have helped cover coalition costs historically; participation requires modest dues and sufficient staffing to support rotated detective assignments. He cited a mutual-aid example from February 2024 in which detectives from several coalition cities responded to a major incident in a neighboring jurisdiction.

Committee members asked about other cities that might qualify to join and whether dues or staffing obligations would be onerous; the chief said dues are minimal and participation is largely a matter of committing officers for rotations. The committee asked staff to bring the draft addendum back for the next public safety meeting and then to the full council.

Next steps: staff has submitted the agenda bill; legal review is in progress and the item will return to the committee (and then to council) after the chiefs’ one-year trial recommendation and any edits from legal.