Message for the Everett Chief of Police

As we look back on 2021 we were still dealing with issues related to Covid-19 but we did start to see light at the end of the tunnel with people returning to more normal activities. In the warmer months it was nice to see people get to return to the outdoors and the things they like to do.  For me I had a son graduate from high school which was a beautiful outdoor event and I know the beginning of good things for him and many other young people as they move on to the next phase of their life.

We not only were recovering from Covid but also the loss of a great number of officers that continued to retire in a short span of time. Fortunately we had a plan and our hiring process was in full action processing new recruits. Many of them started to graduate from the various state run police academies and hit the streets as life began to return to normal. We continue to have robust recruitment and hiring to fill the void and believe we will reach our hiring goals by the Spring of 2023. I continue to be impressed with the quality of recruits that join our ranks from all walks of life. We continue to diversify our department and reflect the community that we serve.  Although policing has taken a many hits over the last couple of years I ask that you judge us on who we are locally not on the profession as a whole. 

We are constantly reflecting on our mission and how we conduct our business always trying to find ways to improve on what we do and ways to reach out to our community members. In October we held our first ever Halloween Trick or Treat Drive Thru and it was a huge success with hundreds of families visiting us. Many department members and some of our partners stepped up to exchange their uniforms for some neat costumes spreading good will and having fun with our residents by providing treats, gifts, and some good laughs ! We hosted or participated in a number of events geared towards community outreach and engagement with many highlighted in this year’s report. I have to say, that it is some of the most rewarding work we do.

I was thankful that zoom meetings were slowly decreasing and we were getting back to face to face meetings and interactions where good work can get done. Our presence on social media continues to grow and this form of community engagement allows us to reach more people each year with now over 14,000 followers on our FB account. We will continue to grow this area in an attempt to connect with as many people as possible and share what we are doing and how we can help you.

Overall, violent continues to fall and we put a heavy emphasis on solving problems as much as we can without having to resort to enforcement actions such as making arrests and issuing citations. You will note that traffic enforcement is an important piece of what we still do but the majority of people are given the benefit of the doubt by receiving warnings usually based on the violation, driver’s history and behavior during these encounters.

In closing, we know that there are always going to be struggles and problems for many who are suffering from alcohol & drug addiction, mental health crisis, homelessness and other societal issues. We are here to be part of the solution. If we can’t help directly we can find the help for you with support personnel like our full time clinician, domestic violence advocate or one of the many community partners in the city or region. Lastly, I’d like to thank the men and women of the department who work hard to keep our community a safe one. Everybody has a role to play here and we value each and every employee. God Bless and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Steven A. Mazzie

Chief of Police