Lynnwood police chief retires; city planning for replacement

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 11, 2020

LYNNWOOD —Lynnwood Police Chief Tom Davis is retiring after four years on the job, according to a department news release.

Davis is a career cop, having spent nearly 30 years with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office — including stints as Stanwood police chief and undersheriff — before coming to Lynnwood. His first job was as a cadet with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

As Lynnwood police chief, Davis early on signaled a desire to strengthen the department’s relationships with the public. He joined a panel on the Police Relations with Communities of Color Task Force. He started a Cops and Kids Youth Camp, a Cops and Clergy Program and a Police Chief’s Community Advisory Committee.

Davis also moved forward on a decision to drop the college education requirement for officer candidates, to reduce barriers to employment, according to the department. And tuition reimbursement was made available to employees who wanted to continue their education.

The department also noted Davis’ emphasis on deescalation training and his move to equip all officer vehicles with less-lethal force options.

The city is working on plans for his successor.