Flock safety camera helped search for murder suspect in Everett

EVERETT, SEPT. 27: Everett Police Chief John DeRousse gave an overview of the Flock Safety system and the City of Everett received a police health and wellness grant.

DeRousse swore in Officer Seth Zaragoza and gave an update on the Flock Safety camera system which was approved by the city council in May.

The grant-funded Flock Safety cameras are exploited To Capture reported license plates and monitor high crime areas before police arrive on the scene.

Everett PD began installing the cameras on Sept. 8, DeRousse said. Currently, 63 of the 74 cameras are installed across the city.

There were 21 herd-related incidents where officers contacted people. Seven cases resulted in arrests, seven involved the theft of vehicles and the seizure of a weapon, and four involved the seizure of large amounts of drugs, DeRousse said.

Herd protection was used on these weekends deadly domestic dispute that left two people dead and one injured. Officers were able to enter the suspect's license plate number into the Flock system and 10 minutes later, a camera notified officers of the car's location, DeRousse said.

“I'm sharing these stories with you because we're pretty excited about the impact it's already having…,” DeRousse said.

Mayor Cassie Franklin announced that the City of Everett has received a $187,000 grant from the Department of Justice for the Everett Police Department Health and Wellness Program.

“This grant will help us with employee retention, reduce burnout and hopefully help improve the quality of life for our team,” Franklin said.

Franklin also issued a proclamation last night declaring September 29th as Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Day. VFW is a nonprofit veterans service that advocates for veterans. On September 29th, VFW celebrates its 125th anniversary.

Next week (September 30th – October 4th) is National No Driving Week. This is an opportunity for those who normally drive to experience other forms of transportation.

“In the United States, there are about a third of people with disabilities, young people or seniors, who cannot afford cars or gas, and this is their everyday life… I encourage everyone who can to spend a week without a car…” Franklin said.

Finally, nominations for the Monte Cristo Award have been extended until October 13th. Find out more about the award Here.