The Maple Valley Police Department kicked off 2011 by adding three officers and two detectives to the force. Considering the recent incidents in the city, including a shooting on the Lake Wilderness Trail, the help came just in time.

The officers and detectives were introduced to the City Council at the Jan. 10 meeting.

The officers are Patrick McCurdy, Greg Victor and Jason Stanley.

The detectives are Jeffrey Johnson and Anthony Mullinax.

• McCurdy has been a deputy with the King County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years. He has worked in White Center, Southpark, Vashon Island, Burien, SeaTac and Fairwood. He taught at the police academy for three years and worked in the Metro Transit Division Bicycle Enforcement Squad and the Metro Anti-Terrorism Team. He is a Taser instructor and a defensive tactics instructor. McCurdy also coaches a youth wrestling team and is the leader of a Cub Scout pack.
• Victor has been with the sheriff’s office since January 2007. For 17 years prior to 2007 he was an officer with other agencies.
• Stanley began working as a deputy for the sheriff’s office in 2002. Most of his career he has worked reactive patrol, but he comes to Maple Valley from the advanced training unit where he taught a variety of classes.
• Johnson has worked for the sheriff’s office for 16 years and will be working as a detective for the city’s police department. He coaches local police activities league sports for the Greater Maple Valley Area youth with the assistance of the Maple Valley Parks Department. He has been a detective for unincorporated King County for the past six years. Johnson was named detective of the year three times in that time.
• Mullinax has been with the sheriff’s office for seven years. He has worked north precinct, Covington and special emphasis team. He graduated from West Point in 1998, was in the Army for six years as a cavalry officer, leaving the service as a captain.

The police officer and detectives were added following the approval of a utility tax increase Oct. 25 by the City Council.

Because of King County budget cuts, Sheriff Sue Rahr was forced to announce Precinct No. 3 in Maple Valley would be closing in 2011.

The closing of the precinct leaves the city without the backup force it had become accustomed to during the past 10 years.

City Manager David Johnston recommended the council approve the utility tax increase to pay for the officers and detectives.