TULALIP – Cmdr. Sherman Pruitt is stepping in to lead the Tulalip Police Department after the announcement that longtime Chief Carlos Echevarria resigned Dec. 4 for personal reasons.

Pruitt will serve as interim chief as the Tulalip Board of Directors prepares a search process to fill the post permanently.

Pruitt has been on the force for 13 years, a patrol officer who rose through the ranks to become detective and sergeant. In addition to his Tulalip duties, he is cross-commissioned with the FBI and U.S. Marshals Office as part of the Safe Trails Task Force, which fights major crimes in Native America.

The 21-year military veteran served 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corp, including five deployments to Somalia, Rwanda and Iraq, and nine years in the Air Force Reserve. He’s been married 20 years and is a father of five.

“I will make sure we continue to serve with pride and respect,” Pruitt said. “We will continue to build trust with the community, along with mentoring our youth and making a difference in their lives.”

Echevarria served with Tulalip police since 2001. He was interim chief for 11 months and in May of 2014 he became the first Tulalip citizen to serve as police chief since the tribes took back jursidiction of tribal land in 2001.

Echevarria said his goal for the department was to work in collaboration with other Tribal departments for the safety, health, welfare, education and outreach to the community, with the mission “to reduce the number of our children exposed to violence and provide law enforcement support services to assist victims of crime.”

His watchwords, ‘Trust, Pride, Dedication” are emblazoned on police vehicles.

Tribal Chairwoman Marie Zackuse said the former chief left big shoes to fill, serving the community for 15 years.

“We are proud of the fact that he was our chief of police, and it was with great sadness that the board of directors accepted his resignation,” Zackuse said. “His parents and grandparents taught him in a good way, and he brought a lot of compassion to his job.”

The police department is relocating into its new headquarters in the former Hewlitt-Packard building at 6332 31st Ave. NE, directly across from its old digs.