 About Us
The Downtown
Community Oriented Policing Service was formed in early 1995 under the
name of T.O.P. C.O.P.S. by Officer Rick Albin and with volunteers from
local business and apartment residents. When Officer Albin retired in
the year 2000, the shop remained open with the D.O.C. having two
officers there, but no volunteers during the period of 2000 to 2001, In
December, 2001, several dedicated volunteers re-opened the shop with a
new NRO. Max Hewitt. The shop was renamed C.O.P.S. Downtown, in 2003.
Our goal is to
promote citizen safety and improve the quality of life within our
community. Through our partnership with the Spokane Police Department
we hope to promote two-way communications between our citizens and law
enforcement.
C.O.P.S. Downtown
is open five days per week with the specific purpose of implementing
certain City programs such as Code Enforcement, Transient Camping,
Alcohol impact area, and certain programs of Spokane C.O.P.S. as they
apply to our area. Those programs also include: Graffiti
documentation, Block Watch, Crime Free Multi Housing, Bicycle
Registration and free helmet distribution, Operation Family ID, and Lost
Property.
We try to be a
focal point for the community in the distribution of pamphlets and
brochures and a telephone reference source for the citizens to utilize
these programs and all those charitable services offered by City, State
and private agencies.
Our
shop has a strong partnership with the
Department of Corrections. Currently, there are four Community
Correction Officers assigned to our location. These Officers are in
chare of supervising 85 – 100 felony offenders that reside within the
areas of Downtown, Browne’s Addition and Peaceful Valley. They work in
co-operation with the many landlords, business owners and security
personnel to ensure community safety and offender accountability within
these areas. The correction officers located in C.O.P.S. Downtown have
initiated a bicycle patrol that can easily cover areas, along with the
SPD bike patrol, not accessible by patrol cars.
The Downtown
C.O.P.S., working closely with the SPD Planning Department is the focal
point projects in four areas of the Downtown core. This amount is up
from last year. The goal of these projects to bring together property
owners, law enforcement and other civic agencies to encourage positive
development in a way that will attract citizens, tourists and patrons
downtown. We have started a shop Newsletter, which contains articles
from our partners, shop volunteers, our NRO and our neighborhood
councils. We are striving to provide greater circulation of the
newsletter to inform all citizens.
Services
C.O.P.S. Downtown
completed its 4th year (since it re-opened) with volunteers
keeping the doors open to the public in 2005. We serve the downtown
area of Spokane, the neighborhoods of Browne’s Addition, Peaceful Valley
and Downtown Neighborhood Councils. We are also a portion of the area
covered by the Downtown Riverside Neighborhood Council. Our Advisory
Board is made up of representatives who are stakeholders in our
community. They are a powerful force in helping make the community
aware of our presence and the services we provide. Our NRO actively
works with the City Administration on important issues like the Alcohol
Impact Area, the Revised Taxi Code and the revised City Transient
Camping Ordinance. We share office space with the Department of
Corrections. The four CCO’s are, Scott Burkart, Olivia Curran, Jeff
Hawkins, and Jill Volke.
Programs
Safe Streets,
Block Watch, Bicycle Registration, D.O.C. Site, Registered Sex
Offenders, Abandoned Verities, Meth Watch, Operation Family I.D.
Graffiti Team and Going Home Project. We also provide a reference
source for Homeless Services in the State, County and City.
Projects
Library Internet
Project, Alcohol Impact Area, Project Safe
Neighborhoods, Transient Camping, and C.A.P.P.U.C.C.I.N.O.*
Projects in several downtown areas.
* Citizens And Police Partnering
Under the Common Cause of Improving Neighborhoods
One Block at a Time.
Events
National Night Out, Officer Appreciation
Meetings
General Meeting: First Wednesday of each month, 5:15 p.m.,
located at C.O.P.S. Downtown.
Advisory Board
meeting – 3rd. Wednesday of month
at 5:15 pm at River Park Square
People
The volunteers at
C.O.P.S. Downtown are men and women of various ages. Some are retired
and others currently working in various businesses. Their common cause
is helping the neighborhoods and their citizens maintain and improve
their quality of life and safety.
C.O.P.S. Downtown
Volunteer, Bob Armstrong (2nd from right), chosen as nominee for
Volunteer of the Year Award at
United Way Banquet 2007.
Pictured from left are C.O.P.S. Programs Coordinator Maurece Vulcano,
Mrs. Bobbie Armstrong, Bob Armstrong, and C.O.P.S. Director Christy
Hamilton.
Partnerships
Spokane Police
Department, Department of Corrections, Neighborhood Councils, Spokane
Transit Authority, Downtown Businessmen Association, Downtown Severity
Ambassadors, various charitable and religious organizations. We
maintain close association with the Lewis & Clark High School C.O.P.S.
Shop.
Fundraisers
None at this time.
Newsletter
We will provide a
newsletter that will be available to the businesses and citizens within
the C.O.P.S. Downtown area. A PDF version of the newsletter will be
available soon from this website. We welcome input from our
partners and others.
See the Spokane C.O.P.S. Annual Report.
This report is available at all C.O.P.S. Substations.
Contact Us
Phone:
(509) 625-3350
Fax: (509) 456-2765
E-mail:
copsdowntown@spokanepolice.org
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