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Lacey Police report: staffing restored, arrests and training up; department emphasizes outreach and embedded behavioral health
Summary
Police Chief Robert Armada briefed council on staffing increases, training expansion, crime and traffic trends, use‑of‑force metrics, and behavioral‑health partnerships including an embedded crisis responder and a mobile outreach team (MOTT).
Chief Robert Armada presented a public safety update to the Lacey City Council on March 11 reviewing department staffing, 2024 workload statistics, strategic priorities and behavioral‑health response partnerships.
Armada said the department expanded commissioned staffing from 52 officers in 2019 to about 72, with 18.5 civilian FTEs and several reserve and volunteer programs. He described recruitment, retention and training as top priorities and said the city converted five previously temporary positions to permanent status and added four officers through recent funding. Armada said, “we're much more likely to educate and inform than do an enforcement action on folks,” describing a philosophy that emphasizes voluntary compliance, outreach and case management before enforcement.
Behavioral‑health response and outcomes: Armada reviewed the department’s embedded behavioral‑health…
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