EVERETT, Wash. – City of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin issued the following statement in response to questions regarding civil unrest in surrounding communities:
“Communities across the country are still grieving the tragic events of the past week.
Unfortunately, there are some people who are using recent demonstrations as opportunities to stir up tensions and cause destruction in our cities.
The Everett Police Department (EPD) is actively monitoring potential events linked to Everett. We have activated additional staff to work with state and federal officials to validate any threat and patrol potential high-risk targets in Everett.
All EPD officers have been trained in de-escalation and crisis intervention. As a city, we honor the rights of people to express themselves and engage in their First Amendment rights. To keep our community safe, those violating the law, destroying property and assaulting others will be apprehended and held accountable.
Our department has officers assigned to the Allied Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) which is a regional resource that responds to large scale demonstrations. This regional resource is now activated along with our Region 1 SWAT team, which is comprised of officers from Everett, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and Lake Stevens.
While we hope that none of the criminal activity taking place throughout our state makes its way to Everett/Snohomish County, our teams are prepared to respond in the event it does.
We encourage our residents to be cautious and be safe.”
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