Lake Stevens police report staffing shortfalls, hiring progress and operational changes

The Lake Stevens Civil Service Commission heard a staffing and recruiting update from the Lake Stevens Police Department on its staffing shortfalls, recent hires and operational impacts, including an impending deputy chief retirement.

The update, delivered by Dean Thomas, operations commander, and Chief Jeff Pizzizzo, said the department remains understaffed but has filled a new community service officer (CSO) position and recently sent an officer to the Burien training academy. Chief Pizzizzo said the city’s authorized sworn strength “includes the 2 additional people that we got from the council” for the 2025 budget, and the department is showing 38 authorized officer positions in internal reports, with one participant noting the count “should be 39.”

The staffing shortfall matters because of response capacity and workload. “A domestic minimum of 2 officers, a DUI, it could take 6 to 8 hours to process a DUI,” Pizzizzo said, adding that some calls now take “hours upon hours” to process. The department is requesting additional patrol officers and a support-services sergeant to form a proactive unit covering traffic, K-9 and community service officers, and to relieve other specialized assignments.

Why it matters: The commission was told Lake Stevens ranks low on officers per capita compared with similarly sized Washington cities. Pizzizzo said the department’s patrol staffing rate is about 0.48 (officers per 1,000 residents) and “we rank right now as the lowest city at a comparable size” within the state. He cautioned that fewer officers increases pressure on response times and on staff ability to maintain proactive patrols.

Key developments and near-term changes

- Deputy chief retirement: Chief Pizzizzo said the deputy chief is medically retiring effective Sept. 2, creating an expected cascade of vacancies: “So we will actually have 5 openings here pretty shortly.”

- New CSO hire: The department hired an additional CSO funded in the 2025 budget; two CSOs will now be on staff, named Margaret Cooper and Maxwell Vick. Pizzizzo said the CSOs will expand patrol work in parks and that the department has already seen “a huge reduction in our calls for service to the parks.”

- Training and academy constraints: Pizzizzo described delays in accessing regional academy classes. He said every state academy is limited to 30 students by state law, which has forced the department in some cases to send recruits to Burien or other locations. Pizzizzo said the department recently sent Officer Matthew Ashbrook to the Burien academy so the recruit would not wait “8 months to a year and a half.” He also said the department is sometimes eligible for grant funding from state legislation that helps offset academy costs but that local travel and lodging still add expense; in one case the department said a $23,000 meals-and-lodging charge was waived, reducing their net cost to send a recruit.

- E-bike enforcement and ordinances: Commissioners asked about electric-bike and e-motorcycle rules. Pizzizzo said the city has published guidance and is working with the mayor’s office and legal staff to update local ordinances and enforcement processes — especially for juvenile riders. He noted limitations in issuing civil infractions for juveniles and said the department is exploring administrative processes (such as an administrative hearing officer) to address impound and return decisions now handled by officers.

- Traffic cameras and jurisdiction: Pizzizzo explained that permanent traffic-camera programs are administered by Public Works and traffic engineers, with state approvals required for cameras near highways; police officers review tickets in some other cities but engineers and public-works staff direct placement. He said program rules restrict non-school/hospital/park placement unless collision data justify it.

- Background investigators and technology: The department has added background investigators (Commander Thomas, Sgt. Hingen and Phil Bassett) and plans to add more. Pizzizzo said a new program, Guardian, has cut background investigation time roughly in half by enabling electronic processing and that the department is seeking succession planning by training patrol officers to do backgrounds.

Commission action and routine business

At the meeting the commission approved the minutes from its July 10 meeting by voice vote after a motion from Commission Chair Ray Mitchell and a second; the chair then moved to adjourn and the commission voted to adjourn.

The session closed with commission members and staff noting upcoming events: a sergeant assessment center scheduled for November and plans to host a public safety testing event in Lake Stevens to attract candidates before year-end.

The discussion included expressions of community appreciation for multilingual officers and an acknowledgement from the department of ongoing constraints tied to budget approvals, academy capacity and juvenile-court processing limits.