Kent police showcase Community Immersion Program and seek replication funding
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Summary
Kent police described a five‑year community immersion program that places new recruits with local nonprofits before academy training; staff said 64 recruits have completed CLIP and two grants (about $120,000 and $100,000) support sustainment and expansion.
Assistant Chief Eric Hemmon told the Kent City Council on Jan. 6 that the Community Immersion Law Enforcement Program, launched in 2021, places new recruits with community‑based organizations for about eight weeks before they attend the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.
“The goals of this program … are to impart understanding, empathy, compassion and trust with our community,” Hemmon said, describing the placement as a way for recruits to “see exactly what they're gonna be dealing with on the street” before wearing a uniform.
Hemmon said the department has enrolled 64 recruits in CLIP since 2021 and had four recruits currently placed at partner organizations. The department named three nonprofit partners: World Relief, Vine Maple Place and the YMCA.
Officer Carl Peterson, who described his 2023 assignment at Vine Maple Place, said the placement helped him mentor teens, teach job‑readiness skills and understand residents’ lived experiences. “I personally loved my experience and loved the people there,” he said.
Officer Michael Corey, hired in June 2025 and recently graduated from the academy, said the placement “gave me the opportunity to connect with folks that I probably normally wouldn't see in my day‑to‑day” and taught him to listen to residents’ stories.
Assistant Chief Andy Grove told the council the program has attracted outside funding. He said the city received an approximately $120,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce to help sustain stipends for partner organizations and cover transportation costs, and a roughly $100,000 grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors to develop a replication toolkit, cover travel and presentation costs, and reserve future stipends for anticipated hires. Grove also referenced two independent University of Washington studies he described as having “promising, compelling data” about the program’s results.
Council members praised the program and asked staff operational questions: how many recruits have participated (Hemmon confirmed 64), why the YMCA has had fewer placements (Hemmon said recent hires arrived in pairs and the YMCA had capacity for a single officer), and whether the model could be adapted for more seasoned officers (staff said it has been discussed but not yet implemented).
Staff flagged two persistent operational challenges: finding community partners with available supervisors and suitable, ongoing work for officers; and aligning placement lengths with variable Basic Academy start dates (typically six to eight weeks). Hemmon said the department intentionally keeps recruits with a single partner for the duration of the placement to foster long‑term relationships.
The council thanked presenters and were told staff will return to council with any significant changes; Hemmon invited other nonprofits interested in hosting recruits to contact the Police Department.
