Everett reporter Debra Smith wrote on her blog Thursday about some interesting questions from a recent Everett City Council meeting.
Why are Washington State Patrol troopers and Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies writing tickets inside Everett’s city limits? Why do we need “speed traps”?
I asked Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz for some answers.
Everett police officers, especially the traffic safety unit, pick locations within the city that are known to have speed problems, Goetz said. The unit particularly focuses on school zones.
“We don’t call them speed traps,” he said. “We call them ‘enforcing the law.’”So what about the other cops? There are a bounty of reasons for troopers and deputies to be in city limits, Goetz said.
Everett is criss-crossed by state highways, including Highways 99, 526 and 527. Troopers regularly patrol state highways. Sheriff’s deputies have jurisdiction anywhere in the county.
Everett police, state troopers and sheriff’s deputies work in partnership all the time, especially for projects such as Target Zero and emphasis patrols, he said.
What about the ticket revenue?
“We don’t issue infractions for ticket revenue,” Goetz said. “It’s not a concern of ours.”
Jurisdictional boundaries aren’t as neatly sliced as you might think. I’m finishing a story for next week about one of the most confusing corners in south Snohomish County. This particular spot is a hodgepodge for police agencies, traffic courts and area cities. Look for it Monday.
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