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Editor:
Monday night, my wife and I attended the Edmonds Civic Roundtable Event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center They invited Police Chief Dawkins to give a talk and Q&A opportunity.
We wanted to thank all involved, especially the Chief, for a very educational event. We learned so many new things about her job and the frustrations with running a department that is bordering on an extremely short staff, their responsibilities and her recommendations for us, the citizens of Edmonds. Very informative and eye-opening suggestions from the Chief.
Thanks again to one and all.
Ed Thomas
Edmonds
I wasn’t able to attend. Presentation slides or notes available?
How does Chief Dawkins reconcile the comments from the Edmonds Police Union President?
-EPD Union President – ‘suggesting spending cuts of up to 10 – 15 positions? – see his comments in article below.”
https://myedmondsnews.com/2024/12/edmonds-police-officers-association-well-take-more-budget-cuts-to-maintain-our-department/
EPD currently represents 40% of the general fund expenditures.
We can support EPD, and also realize more police spend doesn’t equate to fewer crimes. We need to see more innovative solutions coming from EPD, city council, really county, state, federal criminal justice system.
What percentage of these crimes are committed by repeat offenders? Or how many require long term mental health intervention?
Here’s another view – SnoCo 911 – EPD call volume.
2019 – 2024 – 17% decrease in call volume
https://sno911.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Sno911_Annual-Report_2024.pdf
I’m willing to listen, willing to be wrong. Just hoping residents / city can collaborate, level set on data. Ideally, come up with solutions together.
Nick asks some very pertinent questions. Why were none of those data points discussed in the meeting? While everyone gives kudos to first responders, few people ask why Edmonds’ police spending went up 61% between 2021 and 2025 when there was minimal population growth and minimal crime increase. Rather than offering 360* transparency on topics, the ECR meetings seem to reinforce the City administration viewpoint. Why do Edmonds residents pay 35-40% more per resident per year for police services than Shoreline? Why is there no discussion about why the City favors the RFA model for economies of scale, but doesn’t vett the King County or Snohomish County Sheriff model for the same benefits. Interesting that nobody brought up the comments of W. Morris, the police union prez, who in Dec 2024 said he supported reducing the 2025 police budget and staffing by 10-15 positions. Why would the police chief want to change the business model when her job might disappear with economies of scale? Taxpayers are demanding better governance with more performance metrics/results-oriented management. When will the ECR, Mayor, Council, and City staff start taking these demands seriously, and put taxpayers first?