Sheriff’s Emphasis Nets Guns, Drugs, More In South Everett

December 10, 2021

Everett Economy, Police Blotter

On Wednesday night the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post was at the Home Depot parking lot in south Everett at Airport Road and Highway 99. Also, more than half-dozen patrol vehicles, jail vans and support staff were in the parking lot as they conducted an emphasis patrol in the area. Here’s a press release from SCSO outlining the activity that many readers reported seeing on their Wednesday commute.

The Sheriff’s Mobile Command Post in the Home Depot parking lot Wednesday.

Patrol SUV’s and Jail transport vans in the parking lot.

An arrestee is placed in the back of a jail van.

The Home Depot has added fencing along the Highway 99 side of their property.

The cost of replacing shopping carts has become a major expense for many retailers in the Everett area.

Some of the drugs and money seized Wednesday. Photo provided by SCSO

The Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Violent Offender Task Force, the Drug Task Force, Directed Patrol, Office of Neighborhoods, Human Services, Motors Unit, UAS Unit, Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office, the Corrections Bureau, and the Everett Police Department, made more than a dozen arrests during a joint emphasis on Highway 99 in south Snohomish County Wednesday night.

Law enforcement agencies worked together to develop intelligence, identify criminal activity, arrest warrant subjects, and provide an increased police presence near Highway 99 and Airport Road. The Sheriff’s Office has spent the last several months meeting with business owners and community members in the area to partner together and build a balanced approach to the issues this area is currently facing.

During the operation, law enforcement seized over $1,600 believed to be related to drug sales, recovered one stolen vehicle, two stolen guns, made dozens of contacts, over 20 traffic stops, and impounded 28 vehicles that were previously tagged for removal. Arrests were made for warrants, theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and distribution of drugs.

Multiple ounces of street level drugs were recovered, to include 215 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of heroin, 133 fentanyl pills and 10 grams of MDMA. During one incident Wednesday, deputies located an occupied stolen vehicle on 128th Street SW; inside the vehicle deputies identified two adults and located a 16-year-old missing juvenile. Deputies also recovered two stolen firearms from inside the stolen vehicle.

During the patrol operation, seven people were referred to the Office of Neighborhoods, a team of deputies and social workers who assist homeless and vulnerable populations with getting access to treatment and social services. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also had members of their Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program available on Wednesday night. LEAD is a deferral program for low-level offenders enduring mental illness, substance abuse, homelessness, trauma, and other issues.

“We have listened to local business owners and area residents, and we have strategized and planned,” said Sheriff Adam Fortney. “Wednesday night’s patrol operation was about taking action to reduce crime and clean up the streets around Hwy 99 to make it a safer place for our community. Our approach pairs accountability with compassion. For those who are breaking the law, we have a process to hold them accountable. For those who need services, treatment, or housing, we have teams and resources available to assist them right away. Together, we are partnering with our business owners and our residents to make this a safer place to live, work and play every day.”

Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Office began using emphasis patrols to target criminal activity and offer outreach services in south county. In late summer, due to staffing shortages, the Sheriff’s Office had to reduce the number of extra resources dedicated to this area for proactive patrol.

During the operation in early 2021, the Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Snohomish County Public Works, cleaned up truckloads of trash left on county property near Center Road and in the Avondale area. The Sheriff’s Office also assembled a graffiti cleanup crew that volunteered their time to repaint several blocks of neighborhoods surrounding Hwy 99 that were filled with graffiti.

In the first six months of the patrol operation in 2021, the Sheriff’s Office saw approximately a 30 percent decrease in the targeted crimes within the emphasis area.



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