10/12/2026
From the Desk of the Chief Fall Update:
With summer now in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another quarterly update from your Police Department. We have been exceptionally busy over the summer, and there doesn't appear to be any slowing down as we head into the fall and holiday season.
There is a lot happening at the Fife Police Department, and I want to take a few minutes to share some of the work your officers are doing, the partnerships we are strengthening, and some exciting changes taking place within our organization.
School Is Back in Session – and so is Trojan Football:
I would like to publicly recognize Interim Fife School District Superintendent Ben Ramirez and his staff for their continued partnership with the Fife Police Department.
Throughout the summer, we have worked closely with the School District, taking a cooperative and proactive approach to keeping our school campuses, students, faculty, and staff as safe as possible as we begin another school year. This includes strengthening communication, coordinating emergency response planning, and identifying opportunities for greater police visibility and engagement on our campuses.
Among the many initiatives underway, Fife High School football fans may have noticed a change under the Friday night lights. Fife Police officers are now assigned to every Fife High School home football game. I have received some great feedback from both our officers and community members about having FPD at these games, interacting with students, families, and fans. It's been encouraging to see these positive interactions and build relationships with fans of all ages.
My thanks to Superintendent Ramirez and the entire Fife School District team for their continued commitment to this partnership.
Proactive Policing, Traffic Enforcement, and Safer Neighborhoods:
As I have shared in previous community updates, beginning in the summer of 2025, the Fife Police Department significantly increased its emphasis on proactive policing and targeted enforcement throughout the city.
One of our primary areas of focus has been the Pacific Highway corridor, where we have been working closely with our regional public safety partners to address violent crime, narcotics, prostitution, human trafficking, and other criminal activity impacting our community.
Among our strongest partnerships in this effort has been the Puyallup Tribal Police Department, led by Chief Joe Duenas. Our relationship with our public safety tribal partners – all outstanding law enfacement professionals - has never been stronger, and I am grateful for their continued cooperation in identifying and addressing public safety concerns that impact both of our communities.
We have expanded these efforts throughout 2026, and the results have been encouraging.
While our overall calls for service have decreased, our officers' proactive activity has nearly tripled, and our arrest numbers have also increased significantly. These numbers reflect the hard work, initiative, and dedication of our officers, supervisors, and detectives, who are taking a more deliberate approach to addressing criminal activity rather than simply responding to calls as they occur.
But proactive policing isn't limited to criminal investigations. It also means addressing the everyday quality-of-life and traffic concerns that impact our neighborhoods.
We recognize that commercial vehicle traffic, speeding, and the growing use of electric bicycles and scooters are becoming increasingly common concerns throughout Fife. We also continue to hear from residents about vehicles traveling too fast through residential neighborhoods. We hear you, and we are taking action.
Last month, we sent a letter and email to more than 400 commercial stakeholders, along with the Washington Trucking Associations, advising them of our increased emphasis on commercial vehicle safety, education, and enforcement. Our goal is to ensure that commercial vehicles operating within Fife do so safely and responsibly, particularly in areas where they share the road with residents, pedestrians, and other motorists.
We will continue these efforts while balancing our staffing, resources, and the many other public safety demands placed on our department. In the meantime, I encourage you to take two minutes and watch the following video highlighting some of the work your officers and our regional partners are doing every day to keep Fife safe. It's a quick ride-along and well worth a watch!
(You can find the video on our website or the City of Fife Youtube channel.)
Building the Fife Police Department for the Future:
2026 has been a year of significant change for the Fife Police Department, and I couldn't be more excited about where we are headed.
Over the past several months, we have undertaken a substantial reorganization of the department, creating new specialized teams and units focused on criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, vice crimes, and other emerging public safety concerns. We are also strengthening our emergency management and crisis response capabilities, working closely with community partners, including the Fife School District, to ensure we are better prepared when emergencies occur.
These changes are about more than simply moving people around an organizational chart. They are about building a department that can meet the needs of our growing community, while creating meaningful opportunities for professional development, leadership, and advancement within our own ranks.
None of this would have been possible without the cooperation and support of the Fife Police Officers Guild and our city leadership. Earlier this year, we successfully negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement five months before the existing contract was scheduled to expire. This was a genuinely cooperative effort, and I am proud of the professionalism and shared commitment demonstrated throughout the process.
Recruiting and retaining quality police officers remains one of the greatest challenges facing law enforcement today. The new agreement positions Fife to remain competitive with much larger law enforcement agencies in our region, while providing additional educational, professional development, and promotional opportunities for our employees. This agreement, supported by city leadership and unanimously ratified by the Fife City Council, represents an important investment in the future of our department and the people who serve this community.
With this reorganization also comes new leadership opportunities. I am especially proud to announce the promotion of Mike Malave, a 26-year veteran of the Fife Police Department, as the first Deputy Chief of Police in our department's history. Deputy Chief Malave has dedicated his entire law enforcement career to Fife and has earned the respect and admiration of his colleagues throughout the organization. He now serves as second-in-command of one of Washington State's most active police departments, and I couldn't be prouder to serve alongside him.
In the coming weeks, we will also be promoting two new Bureau Commanders, along with additional sergeants and corporals – all form inside of FD’s existing ranks. As we continue building our leadership team and preparing the department for the future.
Stay tuned. It's an exciting time at FPD, and your department is doing some great things!
Fall Activities and a Few Seasonal Reminders:
We recently enjoyed another successful Fife Harvest Festival, and I want to thank our officers and staff who participated and helped make the event a success. We're also looking forward to another fun Halloween Carnival and the many other seasonal activities that bring our community together.
As the weather starts looking and feeling a little more like the Pacific Northwest, it also means colder temperatures, darker mornings and evenings, and wet, slippery roads. Please slow down, avoid distractions while driving, and pay particular attention to your speed, especially in our residential neighborhoods and school zones.
On behalf of the entire team at the Fife Police Department, thank you for your continued support, partnership, and trust. We are proud to work in, and with, this community.
Chief Doug Newman
