More police said needed here
Tue, 12/26/2006
When community groups across the city said Seattle isn't as safe as it could be, city hall listened, adding money for 31 additional police officers in the city's biennial budget.
Community groups here say that's only a starting point.
"We don't intend to stop - we'll keep nagging them until we get more officers on the streets," said Jack Heavner, vice-president of the North Precinct Advisory Council, one of the groups that lobbied the city for more police officers. "We need a minimum of 250 more to really have an effect and to minimize street crime."
This year the Seattle City Council approved a two-year, $1.6 billion general budget that includes a $5.8 million public safety budget package in response to concern about crime and policing issues. Ten new police officers will be added to the Seattle Police Department next year and 20 more officers in 2008.
Officers that previously provided security for Sound Transit will fill several more positions. In all, about 37 officers will be added to the police department by mid 2009.
Some say that's not enough to make a real difference. There are about 1,277 officers within the department now and the Seattle Police Guild President, Rich O'Neil, has said there should be an increase to at least 1,500 officers.
Community groups in this sector of the city plan to start another lobbying campaign as early as this February to get even more police on the streets, said Heavner.
"It's astounding," said Heavner, facilitator of Carkeek Area Neighbors. "The additional officers are maybe a 10th of what we need. But we view it as a victory even though it's not adequate. It demonstrated that we have a policy technique that works."
Seattle is the 23rd largest city in the nation, but it has the 38th largest police force. At any given time, there are about 100 police officers patrolling Seattle's streets, spread out among five precincts and about 600,000 residents.
Since the 1970s, the department has not grown significantly in numbers but it has sprouted several specialty programs like community police and crime scene investigation teams. Those programs have pulled officers off the street.
Lower priority crimes, such as car theft and burglaries, often have to be put on hold or neglected while officers handle emergency calls.
"Police are stretched beyond their limits and doing a phenomenal job," said Heavner. "They are serving under adverse conditions."
Neighborhood groups like Carkeek Area Neighbors and organized block watches like Greenwood-Aurora Involved Neighbors have taken to filling the policing gaps in their neighborhoods.
"We have neighborhood groups that are very active and they are making a huge difference by personal efforts and continued communication with police," he said.
The precinct advisory council's, comprised of community group leaders, have been helping the police identify problems in Seattle neighborhoods for the past 30 years, said Neil Hansen, crime prevention coordinator for the North Precinct.
The North Precinct Advisory Council meets with the police department every month to talk about crime trends in the neighborhood and potential problem areas. That kind of communication between residents and the police department is "very important" in helping officers increase their awareness of crime trends and focus their patrols to high-crime areas, Hansen said.
Some, like city council president Nick Licata, have said an increase in police presence is not the answer to crime deterrence. Police Chief, Gil Kerlikowske has said he wants to use a method called "geo-policing" before figuring out how many officers to hire, which examines the department size, patrol sectors, and the crimes officers will focus on.
Violent crimes have not significantly increased, but drug activity, vandalism and trespassing are up in Seattle. Based on his own research, Heavner said he's convinced that an increase in police presence will go far in preventing street crimes like car theft and burglary.
"We're interested in having a positive effect on whatever will put more officers out on the street," he said
"Maybe we can have an effect. We just want a safe place for our kids and our neighbors to live."
Rebekah Schilperoort can be reached at rebekahs@ballardnewstribune.com or 783.1244.