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Whether it’s stolen cars in the south Dishman area or vehicle prowlings at Pines and Mansfield, Spokane Valley Police are working hard to cool off hot spots of criminal activity.
That was the message that Police Chief Rick Van Leuven delivered to the City Council on Tuesday. The chief was asked to elaborate on what his department was doing to counter crime in some of the more troublesome areas of the city.
In a nutshell, Van Leuven said at Tuesday’s council study session meeting that police were redoubling efforts in places where statistically high numbers of crimes are occurring with arrests being made. He added that staff members trained to analyze data can help redirect patrol officers where they are needed most. The numbers also show what kinds of crimes are occurring most.
“We tend to have more vehicle prowlings in Spokane Valley than commercial burglaries,” Van Leuven said.
By mapping where and how frequently crimes are taking place, Van Leuven said his officers are able to come up with the appropriate response. For example, several stolen and recovered vehicles had been reported in the area of South Dishman-Mica Road. Patrols and detectives contacted neighbors in the area to be extra vigilant and also worked extra emphasis patrols to develop a suspect list. Several arrests were made, and the number of stolen cars was reduced.
Burglaries and vehicle prowling were also big problems in the area of Pines and Mansfield, where there are a large number of apartment complexes. Residents, apartment managers, security officers were all contacted, Van Leuven said, and information was developed in order to make arrests.
“We’ve filed charges on numerous individuals and they’re now going through the criminal justice process,” the chief said.
Council Member Ian Robertson said he wished the meeting was being televised so more people would know how well the city’s police department is working.
“This shouldn’t just be heard by 35 people (in attendance tonight),” Robertson said. “You continue to do a remarkable job.”
In other news, the council:
- Agreed to allow the parks and recreation director to seek bids for parks maintenance. The current five-year contract with Senske will expire at the end of 2009, and council members said they were interested in pursuing a seven-year pact this time around. Council Member Bill Gothmann said he wished to “give credit where credit is due” and that Senske “has done a remarkable job for us.”
- Tentatively agreed on a pandemic response plan, triggered by the need to continue to provide city services in the case of a widespread swine flu infection or similar catastrophic event. The final plan will be voted on the council Sept. 8.
- Agreed to make some changes to its governance manual. No longer will it be an issue for community members to informally speak to council members prior to the start of the council meetings, and the scope of council reports will be limited to save time. Council members will continue to strive to conclude meetings by 9 p.m., they said.
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By
Mike Huffman
