MUKILTEO — The Mukilteo Police Department is trying something different to start a conversation about crime prevention.
Officer Colt Davis plans three free, public workshops starting mid-month. Each is designed around a common topic of concern: burglaries, identity theft and young people facing drugs, alcohol, depression and suicide.
Those issues are behind most of the questions people bring to the police department, Davis said. Not everyone is comfortable approaching an officer personally, or has the time. He’d like the workshops to be an informal gathering where people can talk about what they need and he can connect them to resources.
“I want to give them an opportunity to hear from a real live person,” Davis said.
The meetings tentatively are scheduled for 6 p.m. March 13 for identity theft, March 20 for burglary and March 27 for youth issues, all at City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way. The meetings should wrap up in an hour or two.
“Anyone can show up,” Davis said. “Those are the important things that are going on.”
Identity theft has come up a lot lately in Mukilteo, particularly after reports of scammers posing as IRS tax agents, he said.
People tend to be worried most about burglaries when they hear about one in the neighborhood, but they grow complacent again during quieter months, Davis said. It’s an important topic for business owners, too.
“It’s more than just me getting an alarm system or locking my doors,” he said.
The March 27 meeting is aimed more at parents and young people. Topics will include marijuana use, peer pressure and teen curiosity regarding “things that lead them down a bad road and once they’re down that bad road, how to get them back,” Davis said.
“Kids are having issues and we need to have an open ear to those,” he said. “Before we punish them or get angry at them, let’s get to the root of the problem and prevent these things from happening in the future.”
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Register or ask questions by contacting crimeprevention@ci.mukilteo.wa.us.
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