Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sequim Police chief highlights staffing gains, accreditation and shoplifting rise in 2024 report
Summary
Chief Mike Hill presented the department’s 2024 annual report to council on April 28, citing recruitment and promotions, WASPIC accreditation, an increase in shoplifting and declines in many person‑crime categories; staff said the department is fully staffed but many hires are completing training academies.
Chief Mike Hill presented the Sequim Police Department’s 2024 annual report at the council’s April 28 meeting, summarizing staffing changes, community engagement, crime trends and accreditation work.
Hill said 2024 brought “a year of firsts” for the department, including multiple hires and promotions. The department created a recruitment task force, hired four officers in 2024 and promoted five staff that year, Hill said. He also reported the department received WASPIC (Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs) accreditation, a voluntary program covering best practices.
Crime trends and workload: Hill described the department’s workload and trends. In 2024 the department handled roughly 11,000–12,000 incidents (about 31 incidents per day) and approximately 1,300 incidents became formal cases (about 11 percent of incidents). He said shoplifting and theft increased in 2024, with more victims electing to pursue charges than in the prior year. By contrast, offenses against persons — including assaults — trended down from elevated 2022 levels.
Arrests and prosecution: Hill noted arrest and charge statistics and described several substantial criminal investigations handled by the department, including an interstate apprehension tied to a sexual‑assault investigation and a 20‑year sentence in an attempted‑murder case resulting from detective work. Hill said the department worked with federal and out‑of‑state partners when needed.
Staffing, training and accreditation: Hill explained that the hire‑to‑solo‑patrol timeline can be about a year (background checks, academy, post‑academy field training). He told council the department faced staffing shortages but had recently reached full staffing; several hires remain in academy or field training. Hill also said the department awarded multiple lifesaving awards in 2024 and will soon bring a new canine handler and dog into service following state certification.
Community priorities: The department’s community survey reported residents wanted more traffic enforcement and greater patrol presence downtown; Hill said the department increased traffic stops by roughly 10 percent in late‑2024 and expanded downtown foot patrols and outreach.
Ending: Hill said a fuller, longer annual report will be posted online and that the department will supplement it when statewide FBI statistics are published. Council asked about federal immigration enforcement; Hill said state law limits local cooperation on immigration enforcement and that local police activities remain “pretty hands off.”
