The Operations Division is commanded by the Deputy Chief, whose primary responsibility is to provide general management, direction, and control for the Operations Division. The Operations Division consists of a Division Commander who oversees all uniformed patrol officers as well as day-to-day operations of the Patrol unit.

OPERATIONS COMMANDER

Commander Dean Thomas grew up in Everett, Washington, and is a graduate of Western Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management/Sociology. 

In January 2005, Dean was hired by Everett Police Department as a patrol officer. In March 2006, he lateraled to Lake Stevens Police and served as a patrol officer. In December 2011, he was assigned to the Investigations Unit where he investigated Child Sex Crimes, was a member of the Snohomish Multi-Agency Response Team and was a member of the Interlocal Child Abduction Response Team. 

He was promoted to Sergeant in January 2017, overseeing a patrol squad, the agency Registered Sex Offender Coordinator, and Explorer Commander.  On April 1, 2022, Dean was promoted to Operations Commander. 

Commander Thomas and his fabulous 7-year-old daughter Harper live in Arlington.

Patrol

The Patrol Unit is the backbone of the Lake Stevens Police Department.  

Patrol is divided into four squads to cover the city 24 hours a day / 7 days per week.  Each squad consists of a patrol sergeant who supervises highly trained patrol officers that are adept at responding to emergencies and other calls for service.  The patrol sergeant additionally supervises the day-to-day patrol operations. Patrol officers provide the initial response to calls from the public and are responsible for the prevention of crime, enforcement of laws, the arrest of criminals, and the protection of life and property.  Patrol officers are also trained to provide basic medical treatment to injured persons prior to the arrival of fire/medical personnel. All patrol officers have received crisis intervention training so that they can more effectively respond to those who are in a mental health crisis. 

Community Interaction

Patrol operates on the community-policing model in which input from the community is vital to determining policing strategies. Patrol officers often attend community meetings and events to interact with residents to assist in addressing their concerns regarding law enforcement. Patrol is responsible for traffic and crowd control at all the major parades and events in the city. Patrol officers also monitor our city parks and open areas to reduce the problems routinely encountered during the warmer months, with the goal to reduce the problems of disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, drug activity, and thefts, to make our parks safe for family activities throughout the year.

Partnerships

In addition, the Operations Division works hand in hand with our partners throughout the region.  The Operations Division assists our local partners with extra officers during major events and the sharing of information regarding offenders and crime trends in the area.  The Lake Stevens Police Department also has dedicated patrol officers who are members of the Snohomish County Regional SWAT Team and Violent Offenders Task Force.  These tasks forces are tasked with locating and taking into custody the most high-risk offenders.

Professional Excellence

The Lake Stevens Police Department made a commitment to the community to constantly review our training and procedures of how we respond to situations.  With this diligence and continuous improvement, our patrol supervisors and officers are some of the highest trained law enforcement professionals in the area.