Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lake Stevens Police honor 2025 award winners, including employee of the year Margaret Cooper
Summary
At its April 21 special meeting, the Lake Stevens City Council heard presentations from Police Chief Bazo honoring the department’s 2025 award recipients, including CSO Margaret Cooper as employee of the year and recognitions for detectives and officers for DUI enforcement and investigative successes.
The Lake Stevens City Council meeting on April 21 opened with the police department’s annual awards presentation. Police Chief Bazo presented Community Service Officer Margaret Cooper with the department’s 2025 Employee of the Year award, citing her leadership in park rangers duties, creation of the department’s first field training manual for the role, and ongoing efforts to update forms and municipal procedures.
Chief Bazo also recognized Detective Corporal Kristen Parnell (offered in absentia) for mentoring a new investigator and coordinating a multi‑agency response to a cyber tip that led to the rescue of a child and the arrest of an alleged predator. Commander Michael Henen was presented with an Outstanding Supervisor award for his leadership and role as lead firearms instructor.
Officer Elizabeth Shaftchuk and Officer Austin Hogan received certificate accommodations for leading DUI enforcement; the presentation noted Shaftchuk was primary on 27 of the department’s 94 DUI arrests in 2025 and Hogan was primary on 15. Olivia Bumgardner, a city public information officer who supported grant development and outreach, received the Chief’s Award of Excellence for work that aided the department’s officer wellness funding and community engagement materials.
Chief Bazo said the department will present a fuller annual report to council next week. The awards segment concluded with photos and brief remarks from council and staff.
