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Committee forwards application for $4.1 million auto-theft task force grant; police lieutenant to be detailed and backfilled
Summary
Federal Way’s committee voted to forward a Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority grant application — roughly $4.2 million — to the City Council consent agenda, and approved forwarding a plan to detail a city lieutenant to the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force with a reimbursable backfill.
The Federal Way Finance and Administration Committee on April 22 voted to forward a Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) grant application for the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force to the city council consent agenda, and separately agreed to forward the proposed backfill of a police lieutenant who will be detailed to the task force.
The committee chair, Paul McDaniel, said the police department requested authorization to apply for the WATPA grant and, if awarded, to accept it. The police chief described the application as “just over 4,000,000,” and said the request would fund a supervisor, seven detectives, a crime analyst and fiscal costs for the task force. “We have a really good chance of obtaining the grant,” the chief said, adding the task force was formed in February 2017 and has involved multiple South King and Pierce County agencies.
The police chief told the committee Federal Way has served as the fiscal agent for the task force since 2017 but is working with partner agencies to identify a new fiscal agent beginning July 1. The chief also said Federal Way is seeking to send one of its lieutenants to serve as the task force supervisor when the position rotates to the city.
Separately, the chief asked permission to promote and backfill a lieutenant position so Lieutenant Christopher Kruse can be detailed to the task force. The chief said Kruse is a subject-matter expert who trains on auto theft and VIN identification and that the lieutenant assignment would be a three-year detail. He said salary and benefits for the position would be reimbursable to Federal Way and that the city would “reimburse the cities when they send us an invoice.”
Council members asked about operational and staffing consequences: whether the detectives would become Federal Way employees (they would not), how the city would serve as a fiscal agent (the city would receive grant funds and reimburse participating jurisdictions), and how long the lieutenant detail would last (three years, with possible extensions if funding allows). The chief said the department currently reports 144 sworn hires with one vacancy and several conditional offers pending; he said hiring and academy timelines can leave temporary gaps but that the grant’s reimbursement would offset salary costs.
Committee action: the committee moved to forward the grant-application acceptance (if awarded) on behalf of the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force to the May 6, 2025 consent agenda; the motion carried. The committee likewise moved to forward the proposed backfill of the lieutenant position for the duration of the task force supervision assignment to the May 6 consent agenda; that motion also carried.
Why it matters: the grant, if awarded, would fund multiagency work targeting organized auto theft, continuing a regional task force Federal Way has hosted as fiscal agent. Detailing a Federal Way lieutenant to supervision and reimbursing wages affects department staffing and recruitment plans; committee members pressed for clarity on vacancy timing and vehicle and training impacts.
What’s next: both items will appear on the May 6 city council consent agenda for final council action. The police chief said the department can withdraw the application if the council does not approve moving forward.
