Council member honors National Police Week, invites public to Chief Brad Mariki’s retirement recognition and recounts police VR training

A council member at a Sumner City meeting recognized National Police Week and said they and City Administrator Jason Wilson visited the police department last week to show community support. “National Police Week is both a time of solemn remembrance and a celebration of the men and women who serve with integrity and bravery every day,” the council member said.

The speaker announced a special recognition for Chief Brad Mariki’s upcoming retirement and invited the public to attend the event at city hall next week. The council member asked residents to join the celebration and thanked police staff for their service.

The same speaker also recounted participating in a recent police virtual-reality training exercise and described the technology and scenarios used. The council member said the simulation placed participants in immersive scenarios and praised the officers who guided trainees, adding, “the nice person that was helping me, is it Detective Ellers?” and later, “they told me, ‘On this one, you need to lean up against the wall.’”

The council member offered a candid, humorous account of mistakes made during the simulation — noting they missed targets and that the scenarios sometimes required difficult decisions — and emphasized that the training demonstrates how modern police instruction prepares officers for complex, high-stress situations. The speaker credited city staff and detectives for running the exercise and thanked them for the experience.

The remarks referenced Chief McCertie’s message about National Police Week and identified City Administrator Jason Wilson and Detective Ellers by name during the discussion. No motions, votes, or formal actions were recorded in connection with these announcements.

The council member noted a personal connection to first responders in their family and closed by thanking officers and police staff for their dedication.