New Police Chief Announced

Congratulations to our former Kirkland Police Dept Operations Captain, Cherie Harris,  who was recently announced as our new Police Chief.  It makes me smile to have a woman at the helm.  Harris has 23 years of law enforcement experience and  was chosen through a national selection process that included interview panels with key city and police department staff, police chiefs from neighboring cities, the City Council, and the community.  As Chief, Harris will oversee the 99 sworn and 36 support personnel who serve in the  Administrative, Operations, and Professional Standards divisions.  Kudos to your Chief Harris, thanks for keeping us safe and organized.  

Teach Your Kids to Dial 9-1-1: Kirkland Library 4/12 at 11:30am

Every day 5,000 calls are made locally to 9-1-1. Many residents, especially kids, don’t know how and when to call.

King County 911 is bringing these skills to Kirkland kids with Emery the Emergency Penguin storybook tour, a new program aimed at teaching local preschoolers the how, when and where of dialing 9-1-1.  This FREE tour will be making its way to 13 libraries across King County throughout the month of April, and the next stop will be at King County Library System’s Kirkland Branch Tuesday, April 12^th    from 11:30-12.  They should have me teaching this class.  I call 911 all the time.  Well not ALL the time, but let's just say I'm not scared to call if I see something that doesn't look right and I dial those numbers a couple times a year. They tell me they appreciate it, although they may roll their eyes when they see my number pop up on caller ID. 

Here are some examples I've had....  Just witnessed a car accident. CALL. Crazy guy strung out on drugs riding his bike down the street and yelling obscenities at everyone he passes. CALL.   A truck carrying open cargo is spilling all over a major roadway. CALL.  Car full of teenagers without seat belts speeding down the 405 in a convertible while sitting on the top of the back seats w beer cans in hand.  CALL (you're welcome parents).  Neighbors house alarm going off and I can't reach them. CALL.  Solicitors that give me the creeps/make me uncomfortable and don't have a permit. CALL. I also discuss with my kids what does or doesn't warrant a call- when in doubt, CALL.  They can help you decide the severity of your situation and how to remedy it.