Police

The Lacey Police Department provides a wide range of public safety services on behalf of the Lacey community including community outreach, collaboration with schools, managing crime prevention programs, and investigating major felony crimes.

Overview

The community and the Lacey Police Department work together to ensure the overall safety of the community.  This partnership is critical in maintaining the City’s high quality of life, allowing the Lacey Police Department to proactively respond to emerging issues confronting the community.

Lacey Police Department takes pride in providing excellent customer service and maintaining a low crime rate.  This is due to the  professionalism and training of officers who wear the uniform, and from the willingness of Lacey community members to get involved and report criminal activity affecting their community.

The Lacey Police Department continues to strive to meet the needs of the community and enforce laws in a uniform and fair manner to preserve and maintain the safety of our neighborhoods, schools and businesses.

Reporting a Crime:

  • Emergencies: Call 911 if you see suspicious activity, see a crime occurring, or are a victim of a crime that is occurring or there is a chance quick response by officers means they will catch the suspect.
  • Non-emergencies: Call 360-704-2740 to report a crime that is NOT in progress.
  • Non-emergencies online: You can report some crimes that are not in-progress online via Police2Citizen.
  • Collision: Report a collision using Washington State Patrol’s online system.

Outside Agency contacts:

Mission, Vision, Values

Mission Statement

Partnering with the community to make Lacey a safe and desirable place to live, work, learn, and play.

Vision Statement

Protect and serve with honor.

Values Statement

The Lacey Police Department delivers professional police services based on the following values:

Ethics and Integrity:

  • Be honest
  • Do the right thing
  • Take responsibility
  • Be accountable

Leadership:

  • Expected from all members of LPD
  • Show fairness and impartiality
  • Be consistent
  • Be trustworthy
  • Lead by example
  • Use open communication

Respect:

  • Each other
  • The community
  • Diversity

Professionalism and Excellence:

  • Team work
  • Community partnership
  • Dedication and commitment
  • Accessible and approachable
  • Quality of service
  • Empathy and caring

Innovation:

  • Encourage and implement new ideas
Command Staff
Robert Almada, Chief of Police

Mail: Lacey Police Department
ATTN: Chief Almada
420 College St SE
Lacey, WA 98503-1238

360.459.4333


Chief Robert Almada was sworn into office on July 1, 2021 after serving as the Interim Chief of Police since May 1, 2020. Chief Almada began his service with the Lacey Police Department in October of 2019 as the Deputy Chief of Police. He began his career in law enforcement with the Santa Monica Police Department over 30 years ago, starting as a Police Cadet in 1990. He became a Police Officer in 1991 and worked assignments in patrol and specialized crime suppression units. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1996 and worked a variety of patrol, investigative, and administrative assignments of increasing responsibility. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 2012 and served as a watch commander and the executive officer of the administrative services division.

In 2013, then Lieutenant Almada was selected to lead the Santa Monica Office of Emergency Management (OEM) as the Emergency Services Manager. In this capacity, he expanded and continued to build out emergency preparedness efforts to ensure continuity of government and community stability. During his tenure, he also developed and implemented the new Public Safety Communications Center (PSC) to handle 911 calls and dispatch services for the Police and Fire Departments.

Then Lieutenant Almada returned to his regular duties at the Santa Monica Police Department in 2016, serving as the Audit and Inspection Manager, Special Events Manager, and Community Affairs Manager, and as a patrol watch commander. He was promoted to Captain in 2017 and served as the Operations Commander. He completed his service with Santa Monica Police Department in 2019 and joined the Lacey Police Department.

Chief Almada received his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, as well as a post graduate certificate in Leadership. Chief Almada is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) presented by the California Police Chiefs Association. Chief Almada is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute and was an instructor of Ethics and Leadership with the City’s Santa Monica Institute (SMi).

Chief Almada belongs to several professional organizations including Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). He serves on a variety of boards and commissions including Thurston County Communications (TCOMM) Executive Board, the Thurston County Treatment Sales Tax (TST) Advisory Commission, the national Round Table on Racial Equity for Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research (APPR), and the APPR Policy Board for Thurston County.

Robert Hollis, Deputy Chief of Police

Mail: Lacey Police Department
ATTN: Deputy Chief Hollis
420 College St SE
Lacey, WA 98503-1238

360.459.4333


Deputy Chief Bobby Hollis joined the Lacey Police Department in December 2021. Deputy Chief Hollis started working at the Des Moines Police Department in 2001 before joining the Kent Police Department in 2006. He started as a Police Officer and worked his way to Commander before coming to Lacey.

In his career, Deputy Chief Hollis has worked as the Race and Equity Commander and a Patrol Commander. He has overseen units such as Traffic, K-9, and SRO. He has overseen Emergency Management, IT (Information Technology) projects, and been the liaison to Valley Communications (dispatch). Deputy Chief Hollis has experience working as a PIO (Public Information Officer), SWAT Officer, Recruiting and Hiring, and as a Collision Investigator.

Deputy Chief Hollis has his Executive Master’s degree in Public Administration (EMPA) and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology, both from the University of Washington.

Jim Mack, Operations Division
Patrol Commander

Mail: Lacey Police Department
ATTN: Commander Mack
420 College St SE
Lacey, WA 98503-1238

360.438.2651


Commander Jim Mack joined the Lacey Police Department in July 1989.  During the first half of his career, he held assignments in the Department’s Patrol and Investigation Divisions.  He held the specific positions of Community Service Officer, Reserve Police Officer, Police Officer, Gang Detective, Patrol Sergeant, and School Resource Sergeant.  In January 2003, Jim was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.  He was assigned to the Patrol Division for five years and then to the Investigative Division.

In October 2011, Jim was promoted to the rank of Commander.  As a Command Level Officer, Jim spent time overseeing both the Patrol Division and the Investigative Division for the department.  Commander Mack was also assigned as the Coordinator for the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force.

Jim has an Associate of Arts Degree from Pierce College in Criminal Justice, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Community Services from Saint Martin’s University.  He is a graduate of the #225 Session of the FBI National Academy and has served as the Training Chair and the Sponsorship Chair for the Washington Chapter, Northwest Law Enforcement Command College and the IACP’s Leadership in Police Organizations.

Operations Division

Marine Operations

Police Bicycles

Traffic Unit

Uniformed Patrol

Joe Upton, Investigative Division
Investigative Commander

Mail: Lacey Police Department
ATTN: Commander Upton
420 College St SE
Lacey, WA 98503-1238

360.413.4351


Commander Joe Upton began his law enforcement career with the Lacey Police Department in 1992. In the 27 years since then, he has held the positions of Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Administrative Sergeant, and Patrol Commander. Commander Upton currently serves as the Administrative Commander which encompasses Evidence, Training and Personnel, and the Records Division. Commander Upton assists with LEMAP studies on a statewide level and is the vice-chair of the WASPC accreditation committee. Commander Upton has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pacific Lutheran University and is a graduate of the Northwest Law Enforcement Command College and the FBI National Academy.

Investigative Division

Detectives

Community Resource Unit

Evidence Unit

School Resource Officers

Explorers

Accreditation

Media Releasess

Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify Burglary Suspects On September 9, 2023, at approximately 3:55 a.m., the individuals shown below committed a burglary at Nisqually Tobacco Outlet on Marvin Rd. NE. The suspects used a stolen U-Haul truck to gain entry into the already damaged front door. The suspects then left in
Read More

Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify Burglary Suspect On June 18, 2023, the suspect pictured below broke into Merle Norman Cosmetics by breaking the door lock. He then attempted to break into Happy Nails by breaking the front and rear door locks but was unsuccessful. The suspect was driving a white/ivory 2002-2007 C
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify Robbery Suspect On July 1, 2023, the suspect pictured below committed robbery at Shipwreck Beads in Lacey. They have a tattoo on their calf. The suspect fled in a white Chevy Suburban driven by an indigenous-, American Indian-, or Alaskan Native-looking male with a shaved head an
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify – Vehicle Prowl The subject shown below broke into a parked car in the Lacey Target parking lot. After the theft, the suspect fled the area in a grey Ford sedan with no license plate. If you have any information, please call the Lacey Police Department at (360) 459-4333 or Crime
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify/Locate On May 22, 2023, this subject pictured below broke into a storage unit, stole a dirt bile, other items, and a U-Haul trailer. The vehicle has been located, but we are still looking for the subject. If you have any information, please call the Lacey Police Department at (36
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Locate On Thursday, June 22, 2023, the truck pictured below was stolen from the Panorama area. The truck is a 1994 blue and silver Dodge Ram 2500 with Washington license plate LEM269G. It has a Marine Corps sticker on the right side of the cab’s rear windshield and a US flag on the left.
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Identify The images below include suspects involved in two vape shop burglaries. One on April 28, 2023 at 4:30 a.m. at 4820 Yelm Hwy SE Unit B and the second one on April 29, 2023, at 5:17 a.m. at 4520 Lacey Blvd SE #1. If you have any information, please contact the Lacey Police Departme
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Police Media Release

Attempt to Locate Missing Person Brian C. Simmons: 40 years old, 6’03”, 195 lbs, brown hair, and blue eyes. Brian was last seen leaving his residence on Tuesday, April 4 and has not been seen or heard from since. Brian has been known to frequent homeless encampments. Anyone with information regardin
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FAQs

According to R.C.W. 9A.42.110, it is a misdemeanor offense to knowingly leave a child who is under the age of 18 in the care or custody of a person who must register as a sex offender due to committing a sex offense against a child, unless there exists written documents from a court of law, allowing the offender to have unsupervised contact with children, and/or a family reunification plan approved by the court, the Department of Corrections, or the Department of Social and Health Services.

No. Neither the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office nor the Lacey Police Department has the authority to direct where a sex offender may or may not live. Unless court ordered restrictions exist, the offender is constitutionally free to live wherever he / she chooses.

In accordance with R.C.W. 9A.44.130 the following requirements apply to registered sex offenders residing in Thurston County:

In custody offenders must register with the incarcerating agency prior to their release and register within 24 hours from the time of release with the county of their residence.

If the offender moves to a new address within Thurston County, they are required to notify the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office within 72 hours of moving. The notification may be accomplished in person or writing. It is recommend that written changes be sent via certified mail to assure their letter arrives at the Sheriff’s Office. When submitting written changes, they must include:
A. The date
B. Their old address
C. Their new address (physical address and mailing address and phone number)
D. Their signature

If the offender moves to a new county, they are required to send written notice to the county sheriff of the new county 14 days before moving and register in person within 24 hours upon arrival in the new county. They are also required to send Written notice to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office within 10 days of moving.

If the offender moves out of state, they are required to send written notice to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office within 10 days of moving to the new state of foreign country. They are also required to check with the new county or foreign country and follow their registration laws.

If the offender ceases to have a fixed residence, they shall provide the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office with written notice within 48 hours of ceasing to have a fixed residence.

If the offender lacks a fixed residence, they must report in person to the county sheriff’s office where they last registered on a weekly basis. The report date for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office is Mondays between the hours of 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM excluding holidays, where the report date will be the following workday.

If the offender lacks a fixed residence, on their report date, they will be required to furnish the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office with the address and/or locations they spent the previous seven (7) days. As a transient, regardless of classification level, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office will be notifying the public at large of their presence in the community.

As a transient sex offender, if they enter and stay in another county for more than 24 hours, they are required to register in the new county. If they move to another county, state, or foreign country they are required to send notice to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office within 10 days.

If the offender is admitted as a student or accepted as an employee at any institution of higher education, they are required to notify the Thurston County Sheriff’s office within 10 days of enrolling or accepting employment, or by the first business day after commencing work or attending classes at the institution of higher education. They are also required to notify the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office within 10 days of their termination of employment or termination of enrollment.

If an offender applies to change their name, they must submit a copy of the application to the county sheriff’s office of the county of their residence and to the Washington State Patrol no fewer than five (5) days before the entry of the order granting the name change. If they receive an order changing their name, they must submit a copy of the order to the county sheriff’s office of the county of their residence and to the Washington State Patrol within five (5) days of the entry of the order.

If an offender moves to Washington State from another state or a foreign country and are they are not under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections, the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board, or the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services at the time of moving to Washington State, they must register within 30 days of establishing residence, or re-establishing residence if they are a former Washington State resident.

If an offender meets the qualifications for registration under Washington State laws and they either work or attend school in Washington State, they must register with the county sheriff in the county in which they work or attend school regardless of their state of residence.

There are three classifications of Registered Sex / Kidnapping Offenders – Level I, Level II, and Level III. Level I offenders are considered low risk to the community, and their probability to re-offend is considered low. They normally have not exhibited predatory-type characteristics and most have successfully participated or are participating in approved treatment programs. Many are first time offenders. Level II offenders are considered a moderate risk to the community, and have a higher probability of re-offending than Level I offenders. They are considered a higher risk to re-offend, because of the nature of their previous crime(s) and lifestyle (i.e. drug and alcohol abuse, and other criminal activity). Offenders in this classification have either refused to participate or failed to complete approved treatment programs. Level III offenders are considered a potentially high risk to the community and are a threat to re-offend if provided the opportunity. Most have prior sex crime convictions as well as other criminal convictions. Lifestyles and choices place these offender this this classification. Some have predatory characteristics and may seek out victims. Offenders in this classification have either refused or failed to complete approved treatment programs.

420 College Street SE, next to the Lacey Timberland Library.

Complete a Washington State Patrol Collision report form. Forms can be acquired at any police department, or a copy can be obtained on the Washington State Patrol website.

Lacey Violations Bureau located within City Hall, 420 College Street SE.

Call (360) 459-4333 and ask to speak to the evidence technician. You will be asked to provide a case number. If your property is eligible to be released, you may schedule an appointment to pick it up. Property is released by appointment only.

If you park in a disabled parking space and fail to properly display your placard, law enforcement may be unable to see that you have permission, and issue an infraction for violating LMC 10.04.021. Every time you park in a disabled parking spot, you MUST properly display the placard by suspending it from the rear view mirror. For further information, please refer to RCW 46.16.381.

Bring your placard and infraction to the Lacey Violations Bureau at Lacey’s City Hall, 420 College Street SE. Be prepared to show both the placard and infraction to the Department Assistant.

In accordance with RCW 46.61.370: When traveling on a two-lane roadway (only one lane in each direction) and the school bus displays its stop paddle and flashing red lights, all vehicles must stop. On a multiple lane roadway (three or more lanes including the center turn lane) and you are traveling in the same direction as the bus and the school bus displays its stop paddle and flashing red lights, you must stop . If in the center turn lane, traveling in the same direction as a stopped bus, you must stop. On a multiple lane roadway (three or more lanes including the center turn lane) and you are traveling in the opposite direction of the bus and the school bus displays its stop paddle and flashing red lights, you do not have to stop.

Yes. The vehicle operators facing a steady circular red signal may, after stopping, proceed to make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street into a two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn; or a left turn from a one-way or two-way street into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn; unless a sign posted by competent authority prohibits such movement. RCW 46.61.055(3)(a) Steady red indication: Vehicle operators facing a steady circular red signal alone shall stop at a clearly marked stop line, but if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection control area and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown. However, the vehicle operators facing a steady circular red signal may, after stopping proceed to make a right turn from a one-way or two-way street into a two-way street or into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the right turn; or a left turn from a one-way or two-way street into a one-way street carrying traffic in the direction of the left turn; unless a sign posted by competent authority prohibits such movement. Vehicle operators planning to make such turns shall remain stopped to allow other vehicles lawfully within or approaching the intersection control area to complete their movements. Vehicle operators planning to make such turns shall also remain stopped for pedestrians who are lawfully within the intersection control area as required by RCW 46.61.235(1).

Every vehicle must come to a complete stop, and proceed only if it is safe to do so. RCW 46.61.183 Nonfunctioning signal lights. Except when directed to proceed by a flagger, police officer, or fire fighter, the driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection controlled by a traffic control signal that is temporarily without power on all approaches or is not displaying any green, red, or yellow indication to the approach the vehicle is on, shall consider the intersection to be an all-way stop. After stopping, the driver shall yield the right of way in accordance with RCW 46.61.180(1) and RCW 46.61.185.
[1999 c 200 ¤ 1.]

A modern roundabout is an intersection having a one way circulation pattern around a central island where entering traffic must yield the right-of-way to the traffic circulating with the roundabout.

No. Under RCW 46.04.195 a golf cart is defined as a gas-powered or electric-powered four-wheeled vehicle originally designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting purposes and has a speed attainable in one mile of not more than twenty miles per hour. It is not licensed for street use (RCW 46.04.320).

No. Under LMC 9.20.046 it is unlawful to discharge fireworks in city limits. Only trick or novelty devices, such as snakes, glowworms, trick noise makers, party poppers, pop-its, or similar devices are allowed.

All evidence and seized property items that are no longer held by the Lacey Police Department are sent to an online auction site for bidding. The Lacey Police Department utilizes the services of PropertyRoom.com to auction off all abandoned, stolen, lawfully seized, or unclaimed property, of every kind and description. PropertyRoom.com makes our auctions accessible to the public, 24-hours per day, seven days per week. Items being auctioned include bicycles, cars, rugs, electronics, jewelry, clothing, tools, musical instruments, sporting equipment, and more. View Lacey Police Department items for auction at PropertyRoom.com.

No. The City of Lacey no longer require citizens to have a permit for a garage sales. However, the LMC still states that sales can not be more than four consecutive days and no more than four sales per year.

The Lacey Police Department’s public parking lot is available as a meeting place for on-line sales or bartering transactions. Posters with ill intentions may be less likely to arrange fraudulent transactions or commit other crimes when they know the meeting will be at a Police Department. Be advised that officers are not available to stand by during transactions, but the parking area is available.

Yes, the police department inspects/installs child safety seats. Please call our office at 360-459-4333 to make an appointment.

Yes. If you live within Lacey city limits, you can apply for a license at the Lacey Police Department. Please call our office at 360-459-4333 to schedule an appointment.

You can either submit a request online here, visit the Lacey Police Department at 420 College Street SE, or call (360) 459-4333.

Yes. The Lacey Police Department offers fingerprinting services to Lacey residents only. Please call our office at 360-459-4333 to schedule an appointment. The cost is $12 (plus tax) per person. We are set up to use fingerprint card FD-258. If you have fingerprint cards, please leave them blank. If you live outside Lacey city limits, please visit the Washington State Patrol for fingerprinting services.