Police Chief Peekal and commanders Mike Haynes and Scott King presented the Mountlake Terrace Police Department’s 2024 year-end report to council on April 24, summarizing crime statistics, staffing, training and community outreach.

The report showed decreases in burglaries, auto thefts, vehicle prowls and retail thefts, while violent felony crimes and domestic-violence incidents rose slightly. Commander Haynes said domestic-violence-related felony assaults increased in 2024 and described the department’s domestic-violence coordinator role in case follow-up and victim services. The department reported 379 domestic-violence calls for service that led to 218 criminal domestic-violence cases handled by staff described later in the presentation.

Use of force and pursuits: staff reported 27 force incidents in 2024 involving 59 individual applications of force (multiple officers present in many events); all force incidents were non-lethal, underwent administrative review and were determined to be lawful and within policy. The department recorded one police vehicle pursuit in 2024; officers used an intervention technique, took the driver into custody and reported no injuries. The department noted five citizen complaints for 2024, all investigated and found unfounded.

Training, staffing and programs: staff said officers complete at least the state minimum of 24 training hours per year and that Mountlake Terrace officers typically exceed the minimum; the department maintains certified instructors in defensive tactics, crisis intervention and other fields. The department described recruitment successes, new hires and a regional approach to embedded social-worker services; staff said the department reestablished an embedded social-worker partnership with the Snohomish County outreach team (SCOUT) after a Compass Health contract ended. Other community programs highlighted included Cops & Clergy, e-bike patrols, the Blue Bridge Alliance (a community-funded assistance program), and participation in regional task forces.

Records and evidence: staff reported records processed, evidence handled and the department’s compliance and accreditation efforts. Chief Peekal and commanders emphasized use of auditing, policy review and training to maintain standards and stated they continue to monitor early-warning indicators and patterns for use-of-force and other high-liability incidents.

Ending: Councilmembers thanked staff for the presentation, asked follow-up questions about crisis intervention training frequency and early-warning patterns for force incidents, and requested future updates about community outreach programs and metrics.