Coalition of Small Police Agencies

The Coalition of Small Police Agencies was established in 2002 to create a forum to address the concerns of small police agencies in King County and to find ways to provide alternatives to the high cost of utilizing specialty services.  During that time, county wide, the individual concerns of smaller agencies were not being heard with regards to many issues.  I.e., transporting prisoners, cooperative court agreements and jail availability. The Chiefs realized the potential for increased efficiencies and economies of scale by pooling their resources. Interlocal agreements were drafted, and the Coalition of Small Police Agencies was formed. Member agencies include Algona, Black Diamond, Clyde Hill-Yarrow Point, Duvall, Enumclaw, Issaquah, Lake Forest Park, Medina, Mercer Island, Normandy Park, Pacific, and Snoqualmie-North Bend.  In total, these agencies employ almost 200 commissioned officers serving a combined population of over 120,000 residents. 

The cities have found that by combining resources, to include personnel with specialty training   and expertise, manpower and equipment the cities can save a substantial amount of money. These resources not only could be used during times of emergent need but to help one another in keeping pace with the ever-increasing requirements placed on law enforcement.

In 2005, the Coalition formed a Major Crimes Task Force. The Black Diamond Police Department plays a vital role on the Major Crimes Task Force. The task force is led by Captain Lynch who serves as the task force Commander and is responsible for the operations of the team. We currently have two officers assigned as detectives, Officer Riepl and Officer Crooker.

The Coalition also provides annual leadership development, mutual aid including off-duty needs, and a multitude of shared training opportunities.