Bellevue City Council Recognizes National Police Week, Bellevue Police

The Bellevue City Council recognized the sacrifice made by law enforcement officers this week by issuing a proclamation in support of our nation’s police officers. To kick off last night’s city council meeting, the council recognized May 13 – 19 as “National Police Week.” The proclamation commends the community’s police officers who “play an essential role in safeguarding the safety and freedom of all those who live, work, and visit Bellevue.”

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The Bellevue City Council and Mayor recognized members of the Bellevue Police Department and the sacrifice of all law enforcement officers by issuing a proclamation recognizing  National Police Week.

In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.

The Bellevue Police Department is nationally accredited, with 184 commissioned employees and a total staff of 225. The full proclamation is available to read online.

Four Suspects Arrested After Armed Robbery in Bellevue

Four suspects are in custody following an armed robbery involving a gun at a neighborhood store in Bellevue this afternoon. Today shortly after 3:30 p.m., a clerk at the Little Store, which is located at 2810 West Lake Sammamish Parkway SE, called to report that she had just been robbed. The clerk told dispatchers a male suspect entered the store, pointed a gun at her, and demanded cash. The clerk gave the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash, and the suspect left the store and fled in a vehicle that was occupied by three other men.

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The suspect vehicle was stopped by Mercer Island Police in South Seattle. Photo credit: Dustin Gagne KING-TV

The clerk was able to provide police with a description of the getaway car, and a short time later a Mercer Island Police officer located a vehicle matching the description being driven westbound on I-90 on Mercer Island. The officer called for backup, and with assistance from Washington State Patrol troopers as well as additional Officers from Mercer Island, the suspect vehicle was stopped near the intersection of 19th Avenue South and South Forest Street in Seattle. All four occupants of the vehicle were detained. Police later learned that two of the suspects had outstanding arrest warrants. The primary suspect was positively identified by the clerk and taken to the Bellevue Police Department for questioning by Detectives.

The suspect, a 24 year-old Seattle resident, is not being named at this time as he has not yet been charged with any crime. The vehicle the suspects were stopped in was impounded to the Bellevue Police headquarters as evidence.

 

 

 

Bellevue Police Warn of Phone Scam Twist

Today, the Bellevue Police Department received several calls from concerned residents regarding an apparent phone scam. The scam is familiar – someone claiming to be from the IRS calls and threatens legal action if payment isn’t made. The caller often has a foreign accent and claims that the victim owes back taxes and will be arrested if they don’t pay. The residents that received these types of calls today, however, noticed that the suspect was able to “clone” the phone number of the Bellevue Police Department’s Factoria substation – 425-452-2880, so when the suspect called the caller would see “Bellevue Police” on their caller ID.

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Phone numbers – including those of government agencies – can easily be cloned by scammers.

The Bellevue Police Department would like to remind residents that our Officers will never call you to demand payment. This is a further reminder that any phone number can easily be cloned to appear on someone’s caller ID, so you should not assume that just because a number appears to be a legitimate government entity that the caller is in fact a government employee.

If you suspect that someone is impersonating a Bellevue Police officer on the phone, take the individual’s name and badge number, and then hang up and call 911 or NORCOM non-emergency at 425-577-5656.

Women in Law Enforcement Career Fair This Weekend

The Northwest Women’s Law Enforcement Network and the Criminal Justice Training Commission are proud to present the 3rd Annual Women in Law Enforcement Career Fair.  Tomorrow, over 30 police and public safety agencies, including the Bellevue Police Department will be on hand to showcase career opportunities in public safety.  Although the event is aimed at recruiting women interested in the career, anyone is welcome to attend. The event includes a safety talk, defensive tactics demonstrations and a panel with female police chiefs from across the region. The hours for the career fair are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (the safety talk starts at 9:30 AM).

The career fair will be held at the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s academy, which is located at 19010 1st Ave S in Burien.

2018 Career Fair

Bellevue Police Taking Back Unwanted Drugs This Saturday

This Saturday, April 28, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Bellevue Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 15th opportunity in 7 years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your pills for disposal to the Bellevue Police Department lobby at Bellevue City Hall, the Bellevue Police Crossroads Substation, or the Bellevue Police Factoria Substation inside Factoria Mall (The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.)  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

2018 take back

Last fall Americans turned in 456 tons (912,000 pounds) of prescription drugs at more than 5,300 sites operated by the DEA and almost 4,300 of its state and local law enforcement partners.  Overall, in its 14 previous Take Back events, DEA and its partners have taken in more than 9 million pounds—more than 4,500 tons—of pills.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that sit unused in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.