Public Safety

Supporting our first responders

As a past member and chair of the Civil Service Commission that oversees the rules for hiring and promotion in the Bellevue Police and Fire Departments, Paul has seen firsthand the daily challenges that our police and first responders face. He’s also seen how difficult it is to recruit and retain first responders. Paul supports fully funding our police and first responders, as well as ensuring policies are in place that will allow them to do their jobs.

Hiring and Retention

Paul understands the need for and importance of hiring and retaining more high-quality personnel to keep our neighborhoods safe. The police department in particular has had a difficult time filling open positions and retaining officers, due to Bellevue’s high cost of living. Paul supports the hiring bonuses and salaries necessary to hire and keep top-quality police and firefighters in the city. Additionally, he believes it’s time to implement a take-home vehicle for police officers, a program that has proven cost-effective in many other cities as well as improving officer retention.

Transit Unit

In recent years, we’ve seen several areas around the region become more dangerous. So as the Eastlink extension nears completion, Paul supports the recently funded Transit Unit to keep commuters safe while traveling on our public transportation. We need light rail to be a success, and riders won’t use the system if they don’t feel safe.