At the January 7, 2025, North Bend City Council meeting, Mayor Mary Miller welcomed Snoqualmie/North Bend Police Chief Brian Lynch to introduce two new additions to the Police Department: Officer Wyatt Schannauer and Chaplain Pat Hamman.
Chief Lynch began by wishing the mayor and council members a Happy New Year before introducing Officer Wyatt Schannauer, a recent police academy graduate.
“Standing up here next to me is 35 years and two days of law enforcement experience,” Chief Lynch joked. “I’ll start with the two days. Last Friday, recruit Wyatt Schannauer graduated from the academy and became Officer Wyatt Schannauer.”
Originally from Reading, Pennsylvania, Officer Schannauer attended Shenandoah University in Virginia. His career path has included roles as a U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighter in Montana and work with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in Leavenworth. Inspired by a deep calling, he pursued a career in law enforcement.
“We’re lucky enough to be the ones to say yes and to have him here,” Chief Lynch said. “Don’t let the size fool you—he’s a teddy bear and a great guy. So, we’re really looking forward to seeing his growth over the next few months during training.”
When asked what qualities stood out about Officer Schannauer during the recruitment process, Chief Lynch said he could tell from the first time he spoke with Wyatt that he had a good heart and wanted to enter law enforcement for the right reasons. Says Lynch, “Since day one, he has come to the station with a smile on his face. He is a servant with a servant’s heart.”
Officer Schannauer began his field training on January 6, but the department quickly discovered an unexpected challenge: his size. “He doesn’t fit into the Ford Explorers,” Chief Lynch smiled. As a result, Officer Schannauer will often be seen patrolling in the department’s pickup truck.
The field training program is divided into three segments, each lasting approximately a month. During phase one, the new officer rides with a trainer for the first time and makes about 25% of the decisions during this phase.
Phase two is when Chief Lynch says they start seeing real growth in officers. The officers are able to make a little more than 50% of the decisions they are faced with, and repetition of tasks allows the officer to feel more comfortable at fast-moving scenes.
By phase three, the new officer is making 100% of the decisions and acting without being told to do so. The program is finished with a week or two of a shadow phase in which the new officer is in a patrol car by themselves for the first time, and the field training officer follows them to calls and backs them on traffic stops.
After this has been completed, the new officer is released to work shifts in the patrol car alone. Chief Lynch noted that a new officer coming out of the academy needs roughly three years before they are completely comfortable answering any call and can work with little assistance from other officers.
Next, Chief Lynch introduced Chaplain Pat Hamman, a retired chaplain from the City of Redmond with 35 years of experience. The two first met through a Bible study at their church in Snoqualmie, and Chief Lynch immediately recognized the potential to bring Hamman out of retirement to join the police department.
“Our department needs a chaplain,” Chief Lynch explained. “We’ve been without for years. We’ve relied on the Snoqualmie Fire Department chaplain or the Eastside Fire & Rescue chaplain when needed, but I wanted one in-house. Not only to go out on calls and to represent the department in both cities but for the welfare and the mental wellness of the officers that work in our department.”
Chaplain Hamman has already begun ride-a-longs to connect with the officers and has responded to at least one call, comforting a family in their most difficult moment.
Chief Lynch noted how difficult it is to be a chaplain, saying, “Police officers respond to hard calls and then we call the chaplain to come in to talk to the family and to guide them through their time of loss. It is their worst day on earth. Pat comes in and no matter what culture they are, what religion they are, he communicates with them and calms the situation and brings hope to them.”
Chief Lynch expressed his gratitude for both new department members and highlighted the importance of their roles in serving and supporting the community. “I could not have wished for a better fit than Pat,” he concluded.
The Chief believes having Pat at the station will give officers a sounding board if they want to talk. He says, “Each of our officers carries an extreme amount of stress every day they put the uniform on. We are learning that being able to talk to someone other than a fellow officer increases their ability to manage that stress.”
The Snoqualmie/North Bend Police Department has expanded its peer support program to four officers, led by Mental Health Professional Stephanie Butler. The program is in partnership with the Issaquah Police Department, which provides more support. Chief Lynch says his goal is to have even more officers trained in peer support so they can be called on by other agencies to assist in times of need.
With Officer Schannauer and Chaplain Hamman on board, the North Bend/Snoqualmie Police Department begins 2025 with renewed strength and commitment to the community. The police department strives to be part of the Snoqualmie and North Bend family. The valley is a tight-knit community, and the Chief notes it is very important to hire the best available officers and support personnel to grow their relationship with Snoqualmie Valley citizens.
