In June, The Herald reported on the sheriff’s office “crackdown” in an unincorporated section south of Everett. Having lived in that 1-mile radius for over a year, I was shocked to see the positive portrayal. I had yet to see a single patrol car in my neighborhood. I witnessed fights, petty theft, drug deals and races on or near school property. Calls to 911 usually did not yield a response.
In the four months since, crime has escalated – all within blocks of Mariner High School. The perpetrators of the recent attack on a woman motorist seem to have no fear of retribution. A crowd of 40 teens confronted the deputies after the first attack. What does this say about teens’ attitudes toward the sheriff’s office?
“Operation Clean Sweep is not going to work unless you people pass on the word and step up and help,” Sheriff Rick Bart said in June. If the deputies investigating this attack were intimidated enough to move their questioning of two suspects to the fire station, what exactly does Sheriff Bart think that the citizens can do besides make calls to 911 that get little or no response?
The discovery that the administrators in the Mukilteo School District eliminated their school resource officer made the shock of this attack all that more painful. SROs should be a key partner in making Operation Clean Sweep a success. If “safety starts at home,” the county should re-evaluate its programs to see if they are truly addressing the root of violence. They might find that if they work with the school district to create an SRO program, they’ll reduce stereotypes of police officers, provide opportunities for youth involvement in the betterment of their school and community, and promote crime and delinquency prevention.
Melissa Becker
Everett
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