Laying Down The Law

Photo by Jill russell

OFFICER JEFF MCNAUGHTON JOINED THE FIFE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN JUNE. His position was funded through a federal law enforcement grant.

Jeff McNaughton is a man of few words, but he possesses boundless experience in law enforcement.

He served on the Fife Police Department as a reserve officer for more than a decade before being hired as a fully-commissioned officer this summer. He credits the department’s professionalism for his longevity within the city.

“I’ve been in other agencies prior to coming to Fife. When I was brought here by a prosecutor, I met the chief and saw how they did business,” McNaughton said. “It was an operation I wanted to be a part of.”

The city received help funding McNaughton’s position through a three-year U.S. Department of Justice grant.  

The Community Ori-ented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program provides funding directly to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.

Grant awards are issued annually to agencies, allowing them to hire or rehire full-time sworn officers and fund them for up to three years.

Last summer, Fife City Council formally accepted the city’s $263,000 COPS grant.

The learning curve for Fife’s new officer was short. Already accustomed to the city’s demographics and geography, McNaughton adapted quickly to his new role within the police department.

Over the years, he says Fife has changed quite a bit. It is cleaner and many problem areas have become more manageable for law enforcement officers, he commented.

“A lot of that comes down to our administration,” McNaughton said. “It starts from the top and trickles its way down.”

While a reserve officer, McNaughton says he often performed the same functions and assignments alongside fellow commissioned officers. However, before he could take the oath and become one of Fife’s finest, he was required to attend the state’s basic law enforcement training academy. He graduated in June.  

“The standards of Fife’s reserve officers are equal to that of commissioned officers,” he said. “So, if you want to be a reserve in Fife, be successful and make it, you have to live up to that higher expectation.”

His long-term professional goals include joining the department’s drug K-9 unit and moving up through the administrative chain of command.

“I want to be a part of something I could be proud of,” McNaughton said.

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