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Spokane Valley Police Chief Rick Van Leuven understands the value of community involvement in local law-enforcement efforts – to the tune of over half-a-million dollars.
The total represents the estimated salary disbursement that would have been paid to volunteers with Spokane Valley’s Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort for more than 25,000 hours of donated time last year. Van Leuven said local SCOPE branches comprise “one of the best community involved policing programs in the entire country.”
“They just do amazing work and really add to the level of public safety here,” Van Leuven said.
On Tuesday, Aug. 4, Van Leuven will join law-enforcement personnel and volunteers throughout Spokane County in observance of National Night Out, an annual event launched in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch. The occasion, according to Matt Peskin, NATW executive director, is intended “to help make neighborhoods safer throughout the year and to strengthen programs for the next 364 days.”
One of those efforts is the Neighborhood Watch program, coordinated by the Spokane County Sheriffs Office. There are currently around 1,400
Neighborhood Watch groups throughout the county, each comprised of households within a specific area. Neighbors work with local SCOPE offices and police representatives to promote awareness and emphasize public safety.
Next Tuesday, block parties will be held across Spokane County at various locations, including a gathering at the Target store at 13724 E. Sprague in Spokane Valley from 1 to 5 p.m. that will feature community booths, food and games. To protect against identity theft, residents can also bring up to two boxes of papers to be shredded.
Van Leuven and around 25 representatives from the Spokane Valley Police Department will be visiting the gatherings to visit with residents, answer questions and discuss various aspects of public safety.
“We talk about crime-prevention efforts and issues that might be of concern to a neighborhood,” Van Leuven said.
Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich has described how residents help fight crime “by providing an extra set of eyes and ears.” The return of the Crime Check number – 456-2233 – earlier this year has given citizens another resource to file non-emergency reports.
The Spokane Valley City Council meeting will feature an abbreviated agenda on Aug. 4, allowing local leaders to attend events throughout town. Spokane Valley Mayor Richard Munson said the festivities reinforce the importance of community involvement.
“Neighborhood safety is a top priority for the city,” Munson said. “It’s something we should all be dedicated to.”
Munson and his wife, Jan, have been part of a Neighborhood Watch group since 1998.
“The SCOPE folks keep you informed,” Munson said. “It just helps you stay aware of what’s going on in your neighborhood.”
Diana Somerville, director of Neighborhood Watch, said residents have seen the benefits of community policing since the program began in Spokane back in 1979. Former Spokane County Sheriff Mark Sterk was a key factor in generating new branches after taking over in 1999 – at the time, there were only 300 groups in the area.
“Whether it’s identifying a drug house or some other problem, the people who participate with Neighborhood Watch are making a difference,” Somerville said.
Rick Scott, director of SCOPE said volunteers from the four Spokane Valley branches – Edgecliff, Central Valley, Trentwood and University – will be involved in the activities on Aug. 4 along with representatives from surrounding SCOPE offices in Otis Orchards, Millwood, Liberty Lake and Newman Lake.
“More than anything it makes people aware of the resources that are out there to fight crime and keep neighborhoods safe,” Scott said. “It’s important for residents to know they can be part of that effort.”
Want to find out more?
To learn how to start a Neighborhood Watch program or get involved in National Night Out, call Diana Somerville at 477-3055. To learn more about SCOPE, call Rick Scott at 477-3376.
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By
Craig Howard
