Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Forest Park police commander says officers respond to every 911 call, outlines gate‑check practice
Summary
Commander Ross Adams testified the Lake Forest Park Police Department has a long‑standing practice of responding to 911 and nonemergency calls and performs proactive park gate checks, though staffing constraints can delay routine checks. He said marine patrol support is available year‑round under an interlocal agreement with King County.
Commander Ross Adams told the hearing examiner on March 4 that Lake Forest Park police have an established practice of responding to all calls routed through dispatch and attempt routine park checks to confirm gates are locked and clear parks after hours.
"We respond to every 911 call for service or, nonemergency line calls for service," Adams said, adding the department will "always always respond" to concerns when residents call dispatch. He described an operational practice in which officers verify gate status at the preserve and, if necessary, clear the park and lock gates to make the area vacant.
Adams testified he supervises support services—property and evidence, records and training—and that the commander position is second in command under the chief. He said the department typically staffs two to three officers per shift and that officers will be reassigned if a higher‑priority call (for example, an in‑progress assault) arrives while they are performing routine checks.
On enforcement questions, Adams said that municipal code treats off‑leash animals in parks as an offense the department will respond to and that trespass complaints may be addressed with trespass warnings that, if signed by a property owner, can make future returns arrestable. "We would absolutely respond to that," he said when asked whether the department would respond to reports of people trespassing onto private docks.
He also confirmed the city has an interlocal agreement with the King County Sheriff's Office for marine patrol assistance: "Typically, their response is in a supportive nature," Adams said, noting the sheriff's marine unit is used for reports of boating under the influence, boating accidents and recoveries and other incidents on water or shoreline areas the city cannot reach.
On cross‑examination, Adams acknowledged he did not have shift‑by‑shift gate‑check logs available in court and could not state precisely how many times the Lion(s) Creek Preserve gate had been checked during a particular period. He described standard response times as "around or just under 3 minutes" for routine calls and reiterated that the department has no written prioritization list beyond life‑safety calls taking precedence.
The hearing examiner entered a city review letter from Sarah Phillips as Exhibit 55 and then returned to continuing testimony on traffic and environmental topics.
