Letter: McCulley not negligent, despite appearances in sudden retirement

Published 8:30 am Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Regarding the recent retirement of Chief McCulley from the Snoqualmie Police Department, the local media quotedthe Snoqualmie administration as stating “McCulley’s departure had not been planned for” and that it “came up suddenly.” This implies that Chief McCulley was negligent in not securing a replacement for his position.

As a long time citizen of the Snoqualmie Valley and one who personally knows the chief and his family, I doubt that this retirement was amenable.

McCulley is one of the most ethical and law-abiding citizens we have in this Valley and we should all strive to achieve his standard. He has truly cared about the community and has tirelessly served, often without publicly taking credit.

We should question why one would “retire” who has brought the department up to code in its firing range, implemented standard procedures in its record keeping and evidence departments, and was almost to the point of getting the department professionally accredited.

I hope the media will continue to question the circumstances and not allow Chief McCulley to be seen as negligent in the eyes of the community.

Andrea Williamson

Snoqualmie