So much has been said about Sen. John McCoy this week following his passing. John was an advocate for the environment, for public education and for the best interests of tribal sovereignty and for all Native Americans (”State Sen. McCoy, who represented Tulalip and tribal causes, dies”, The Herald, June 7). John was also a loving husband, a proud father, an Air Force veteran and — believe it or not — a computer technician at the White House in the early 1980s.
John was a problem solver. He always met a challenge, and you could bet he would get right to the point.
One such issue came way back in 2008 when John was in the House and I was serving as Snohomish County Sheriff. Tribal police did not have the same authority as other law enforcement in our state, and were unable to arrest non-tribal members who were suspected of committing a crime on a reservation.
John decided to change that.
The following legislation put tribal police on equal footing with other law enforcement. It also created partnerships between tribal and non-tribal police — they can now work together and build lasting relationships to help keep all communities safe.
As a result, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s office cross-commissioned with the Tulalip Police Department. The department assigned an officer to serve on the newly-formed Snohomish County Auto Theft Task Force, a partnership that continues to this day.
That was John. He was a problem solver and a bridge builder, and he did it all with little fanfare and didn’t care about the credit. For John, finding a solution was the reward.
I’ll miss my friend, but his legacy is all around us.
Sen. John Lovick
44th Legislative District
Mill Creek
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