Mercer Island Police Department members provided some insight into the agency’s hefty 2021 workload at a recent city council meeting.
Over the course of last year, department officers responded to 13,024 calls for service on land and 411 on water, according to a year-end report presented at the Feb. 15 virtual meeting.
On the patrol side, services commander Jeff Magnan said the calls ranged from cases of simple theft to fraud to robbery to assaults. Officers issued 304 traffic citations, 183 criminal citations and made 210 arrests.
In the records realm, staff processed 1,100 case reports and collision reports and responded to 478 public records requests, said Magnan, adding that after the department acquired an automated license plate reader in late 2021, officers were able to recover three stolen vehicles and enforce parking regulations. The reader is still in its early stages, he said.
Marine Patrol sergeant Chad Schumacher said their calls ranged from vessel assists to community outreach. They completed 102 vessel safety inspections and responded to seven vessel collisions — including a vessel-seaplane collision on the south end of the Island — and two vessel fires. His unit also responded to six drownings on Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish; five bodies were recovered.
Schumacher said that heaps of people took to the water last summer during the pandemic and his unit is gearing up for another busy summer, which will include the return of Seafair.
Operations commander Mike Seifert discussed how the department handled the new ordinance that city council passed last year to prohibit camping and storage of personal possessions on all public property.
“We leaned heavily towards compassion, and after almost a year of that being part of our city code, we have made no arrests and issued no criminal citations for that ordinance,” he said, adding that people in need were given assistance and connected with resources.
The department has maintained a high-level training program, which includes continued integration of de-escalation techniques when it comes to use of force or other situations, Seifert said. In 2021, the department faced nine incidents that involved a low level use of force — with seven being very minor — and all were deemed proper and justified, he said.
Magnan said the department received re-accreditation from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, and Chief Ed Holmes began serving as the first executive board chair of the new Independent Force Investigation Team – King County.
Holmes also spoke at the meeting and delved into a quartet of legislative house bills that are currently in session that affect state police departments. He’s optimistic they will pass and spent some extra time on HB 2037, which is focused on restoring officers’ use of some level of appropriate force when detaining a suspect who’s fleeing the scene of a crime.
“I think that’s important for all level of crime, be it property or violent crime, that police have the ability to stop somebody long enough for the victim to identify whether or not this in fact is the person (of interest),” he said.
City councilmember Jake Jacobson praised the department for its high level of professionalism.
Holmes noted that the department appreciates the support it receives from the community with words of encouragement, holiday dinners, treat baskets and more.
“It’s really heartwarming to see how the community has responded to the officers who are out there every day really trying their best to keep the community safe despite some really challenging times,” the chief said.
