On the beat

Chris White has what some may consider a heavy workload, but she’s not complaining.

Not only is White the Mill Creek Police Department’s lone detective, she doubles as the city of Mill Creek’s DARE officer.

White, a three-year department veteran, also got the ultimate performance review recently – she was named Mill Creek’s police officer of the year, an award bestowed upon her by her colleagues in the department.

“It was very much a surprise,” White said of the honor. “Seeing that it was a vote from my peers, I really appreciate the vote of my fellow officers.”

A no-nonsense, straight-forward person, White says her ultimate ambition is to someday serve as a police chief. She likes her current position because of the diversity it offers.

“I can work on many specialties,” White said. “I have a high interest in preventing motor vehicle theft and break-ins, and as a detective I can go to specialized schools and learn about those topics.”

Police chief Bob Crannell said White’s biggest strength is her willingness to help other officers and do things that are outside her job description.

“Chris has a can-do attitude and likes to get things done,” Crannell said.

White says she took an interest in law enforcement while still in elementary school.

“I used to go up to police officers and ask them all about their job,” she said. “My mom would have to go and apologize to them because I took up so much of their time.”

White said she’s the first law enforcement officer in her family.

“I think it stems from the honor and integrity my father had in the Air Force, and my mom had working for the government,” she said. “I’m very much a service-oriented person, and I love working with kids.”

She has come to appreciate Mill Creek, not only the police department, but the community as well.

“This department’s great. All the officers work well together as a team. And the community’s been wonderful,” White said. “All the victims I work with in the community are wonderful about getting information to me, usually more information that I expect to receive. And the Mill Creek Elementary PTA has been amazing with the DARE program.”

White is a 1987 graduate of Juanita High School in Kirkland and got an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Everett Community College. She worked for various departments in Island and Snohomish counties before coming to Mill Creek.