Lynnwood prosecutors outline caseload, retail-theft diversion and LEAD partnership

Lynnwood city prosecutors from the firm Zacker, Stock & Kreps summarized the office’s workload and programs during the council’s April 21 work session, reporting high volumes of theft and traffic cases and describing a prosecutor‑led diversion pilot tied to LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). The presenters also described digital case management upgrades and said the city will soon run two courtroom schedules concurrently.

The presentation gave elected officials a snapshot of case filings and program outcomes. Chad Kreps, one of the firm’s principals, said the office handled nearly 1,000 filings for theft in the third degree in 2024 and had roughly 340 theft filings so far in 2025. He also reported 140 DUI filings in 2024 and 303 year‑to‑date in 2025, and 217 possession of a controlled substance filings in 2024 with 75 year‑to‑date. On prosecution technology, Kreps said the office has “gone digital” with a product identified in the presentation as Prosecutor by Carpel, and called it “a lifesaver.”

Why it matters: council members said the numbers help explain pressure on police and courts and shaped their questions about diversion, light‑rail impacts and long‑term funding. The diversion pilot — organized under the Washington Organized Retail Crime Association (WARCA) grant — channels eligible retail‑theft defendants into LEAD or into stipulated orders of continuance instead of immediate criminal adjudication.

Prosecutors and city staff said the WARCA pilot was funded with roughly $200,000 for Lynnwood; about $100,000 of that was used to supplement police staffing and a dedicated prosecutor slot. Yelena (last name not stated), the prosecutor who described the retail‑theft program, said the grant covered six months and that “in June, we will no longer have that grant.” She urged the council to consider the limits of short‑term grants when evaluating program sustainability.

Program details and early results: staff provided the following counts from the pilot (figures quoted by prosecutors): 894 retail‑theft‑associated cases were identified in the court system; of those, about 170 people were offered diversion when they appeared in court, 70 opted into diversion, 5 opted out, 29 were disqualified for program criteria and 35 were diverted into LEAD services. Prosecutors said some participants are referred directly to LEAD and others are offered a stipulated order of continuance tied to treatment or education.

On the LEAD coordination, prosecutors described a warm‑handoff process: referrals are sent to LEAD, a LEAD representative meets defendants at arraignment when possible, and participants are expected to schedule an intake appointment. The prosecution office tracks completion and reported it will continue to follow up on diverted cases after the grant ends to measure recidivism.

Other matters raised by councilors included public safety staffing and the effect of the new light‑rail station. Council member Decker told the council that Lynnwood Police responded to 10,254 calls in the first three months of 2025, citing data from a county meeting he attended; prosecutors and police staff said light rail appears to have changed patterns of trespass and theft near the transit hub, with officers reporting more activity when trains let off riders late at night.

Staffing and court operations: Kreps said the city will soon have a second judicial officer and a second full courtroom, which will let the court run two dockets concurrently. Prosecutors described a new case coordinator role and victim‑services coordination with the Lynnwood Police Department’s victim services staff.

Limitations and next steps: prosecutors repeatedly cautioned that the pilot’s funding is temporary and that continued tracking is needed to evaluate whether diversion reduces repeat retail theft. “We were only able to secure the grant for six months,” prosecutors said; they plan to continue collecting outcome data and to seek additional funding through state programs and grants.

Ending note: city prosecutors encouraged council members to visit the prosecutor office and court to see operations first‑hand and offered to provide more detailed statistics on request.