William E. Burnett served for several years in the Sheriff’s Department of Spokane County before he became Chief of Police in the Narcotics Division at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyards in Bremerton. He was a sought-after lecturer on the subject of narcotics and drug traffic in the Pacific Northwest, and gave presentations to schools and civic organizations across the state.
From the guide to the William E. Burnett Papers, 1928-1955, (Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture Joel E. Ferris Research Library and Archives)