An arrest can mean diversion and help instead of jail.
As part of the City’s ongoing efforts to address street-level social issues in a comprehensive way, the Everett Police Department has been conducting emphasis patrols throughout the city to help link people on the street with social services and to target criminal activity, including selling and using drugs, and prostitution.
“We have a couple of goals with these emphasis patrols,” said Chief Dan Templeman. “Our priority is to connect those who are interested and willing with services, such as temporary housing, drug and alcohol treatment or mental health services. But we also know that there are those who are committing crimes – often against other vulnerable homeless citizens – and we want to hold those individuals accountable.”
Most of the arrested individuals have been referred to the City Prosecutor’s Office for prosecution in the Everett Municipal Court. “The officers have worked hard to provide us with detailed information about the alleged criminal conduct and their outreach efforts with the arrested individuals,” said Hil Kaman, the City’s lead prosecutor. “That allows us to make informed recommendations for diversion or sentencing.”
In recent weeks, officers have conducted undercover and high-visibility operations in specific areas, and have made many arrests. Below, we’ve included summaries of several recent EPD operations in the Smith Avenue area:
• On the evening of Nov. 12, officers arrested and booked into jail six individuals, including three who were smoking meth under the bridge next to the road.
• During the week of Nov. 16, officers arrested 15 people for drug-related offenses, and talked with 43 people about opportunities to be connected with services. One of the individuals contacted by officers was transported to detox and, through a network of out-of-state connections, was enrolled in a long-term drug treatment facility in California.
• On the evening of Monday, Nov. 23, officers arrested five individuals, all for smoking meth or heroin in the open. They also requested aid for an individual passed out at a business along Broadway, and in talking with fire department responders, determined he would be a good candidate for the CHART program.
The City’s Safe Streets plan brings together police, prosecutors, and social workers in a coordinated approach to connect people with services and hold individuals accountable for criminal activity. Our goal is to continue to effectively balance outreach and enforcement in affected areas throughout the city and at each stage of the criminal justice system.
December 1, 2015
Everett, Police Blotter