ABOUT SPOKANE COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (C.O.P.S.)

C.O.P.S. is designed to assist the Spokane Police Department in providing services to the neighborhood for the betterment of the entire community.  This is accomplished through the use of volunteers who live, work, own a business or property in, or have a vested interest in the community, in partnership with law enforcement agencies. 

The intent is to train, educate and enable the community to assume primary responsibility for those conditions in the neighborhood which provide security or have the potential to result in crime.  This involves networking and collaboration with neighborhood and community service providers.

       Spokane C.O.P.S. Annual Report - 2004

         Spokane C.O.P.S. Annual Report - 2005

         Spokane C.O.P.S. Annual Report - 2006

C.O.P.S. MISSION

The mission of Spokane C.O.P.S. is to help promote and support an environment for a safe community.  In partnership with the City of Spokane and its residents, Washington State Department of Corrections, and community stakeholders, we provide services to neighborhoods that increase volunteer efforts and improve the quality of life in the entire community.

HISTORY

In 1991, two young girls were abducted from their neighborhood in Spokane's West Central area. One was found dead, the other has never been found. The shocking crimes brought West Central residents together and they were determined to find ways to make their children and homes safer. The meetings included representatives from the Police Department, Dist. 81 Schools, the city's Human Services Department, West Central Community Center, and W.S.U.'s Cooperative Extension Service. After months of meetings, these groups, police officers, and citizens from the neighborhood created 'C.O.P.S. West.'

The police-trained citizen volunteers take reports, gather information about possible drug houses, and become effective crime fighters. A merchant donated a building at Elm and Boone, and volunteers renovated it.

A governing board was created with the involvement of scores of residents. The volunteers established a schedule to keep the center open daily. Police officers use the location to write reports, meet with residents, and afford a visible presence.

In March of 2002 we opened our first closed-campus high school substation in Lewis and Clark.

In May 2003, 'C.O.P.S. West' celebrated its eleventh anniversary. Congratulations were offered in person by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Spokane Mayor and Council members, and Police Chief Terry Mangan, among others.

Since the establishment of 'C.O.P.S. West,' there are now a total of 13 neighborhoods that have opened their own C.O.P.S. substations. In each neighborhood where a COPS substation is operating, it becomes a focal point for citizen involvement. We hope, eventually, most Spokane neighborhoods will have their own variation of a C.O.P.S. Shop, staffed by trained volunteers who take an active part in their own community safety.

In 2007, our C.O.P.S. 300+ active volunteers worked 44,000+ hours, taking over 24,000 reports or incidents and were involved in over 180 projects and programs supporting this city.