Safeguard Against Crimes
Spokesman-Review, July 5, 2011

Making property high-risk can discourage criminals, sheriff’s deputy says. Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Travis Pendell wants to help people avoid becoming victims of property crimes.  Pendell said most thieves are not predators, but are opportunists waiting for victims to let down their guard.  Click here for the story.  For Crime Prevention Tips.

Summer Brings Highest Rate of Burglaries – Is Your Home and/or Business Secure?
Spokane Better Business Bureau, July 5, 2011

According to the FBI, the summer months of July and August have the highest rates of burglaries. Click here for the story.

Thieves Get On Their Backs To Rip Off Spokane Drivers
Jeff Humphrey | KXLY4 Reporter

Spokane, Wash. — Spokane area thieves have come up with a new way to steal from you while they’re lying down on the job.   See here for more of the story. 

Northeast Neighborhoods Crime and Top 15 Active Offenders
Emphasis put on Northeast part of Spokane for crime reduction

There are six City of Spokane Neighborhood Councils that fall in Northeast Spokane (east of Division and north of the Spokane River): Bemiss, Hillyard, Logan, Minnehaha, Nevada- Lidgerwood, and Whitman. For a map of these locations, or to see other Neighborhood Councils in Spokane, please visit the city Neighborhood Services website.

These six Neighborhoods will be targeted for the Spokane Police Department’s proactive efforts in 2010 to reduce the following crimes by 25%: Burglary, Vehicle Prowling, and Vehicle Theft. Though SPD resources will be deployed to focus on all emerging crime trends in all areas of Spokane, for the purposes of Accountability Information Management (AIM), specific proactive patrol efforts in the Northeast will be measured to determine if these patrols have an impact on reducing crime.  Below are the tables showing the 2010 goal for the average level of Burglary, Vehicle Prowling, and Vehicle Theft for these six neighborhoods. 

As the tables indicate, only in the Hillyard, Minnehaha, and Whitman neighborhoods were total crime levels reduced by 25%.  However, certain crime categories exceeded the target goal for 2010 and others did achieve the goal level across all six neighborhoods.  Please note, however, these 2010 goals are for the average for the entire year.  The monthly numbers are only provided as a guidepost.  This data will be used to assist Patrol teams and Investigations focus resources in these areas to drive down crime. 

Along with focusing on proactive patrol efforts to reduce crime, SPD is also focusing on certain prolific offenders. The vast majority of crime can be attributed to a few select offenders in a community. These offenders are often a revolving cast; while some are incarcerated for a period of several months to several years, others remain active in criminal behavior, often arrested for crimes only to be released pending prosecution. Based on limited resources in the criminal justice system, including law enforcement officers, jail space, and property crimes prosecutors, by focusing available resources on these offenders, we can make Spokane a safer place as well as achieve efficiency. 

As such, the Crime Analysis unit at SPD has identified the top 15 active offenders in Spokane as of February 2010. These offenders will be the focus of both patrol and investigators at SPD and every effort will be made to ensure all referrals for prosecution believed to have been committed by these individuals receive top priority. The list will remain static for 2010 so that we can measure the influence of these offenders on crime trends. 

Each month, an update of the offender’s status (legal, incarcerated, etc) will be provided as well as a brief summary of the activity for that month by the offender, including any arrests. In order to maintain anonymity, as these offenders are presumed innocent until conviction, a code name has been given to each offender and their given name will be redacted. The code name will be used in the Weekly AIM reports as well, so that these offenders’ activity can be linked anecdotally.

In future AIM reports, statistical analysis will be conducted to show the correlation between certain crime trends and these prolific offenders. 

What is “211 Service”?

Every hour of every day, hundreds of people need essential human services – they are looking for training, employment, food pantries, help for an aging parent, addiction prevention programs for their teenage children, affordable housing options, support groups and ways of becoming part of their community. 2-1-1 allows people to give help and to get help.

2-1-1 is an easy to remember telephone number that, where available, connects people with important community services and volunteer opportunities. In 2007, 2-1-1 services in the United States answered nearly 10 million calls. The implementation of 2-1-1 is spearheaded by United Ways and information and referral agencies in states and local communities. United Way of America (UWA) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) strongly support federal funding so that every American has access to this essential service.

Did you know that Crime Check has been back since January 5, 2009?

What is Crime Check?

Crime Check is a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service in Spokane County that will enable citizens to report crimes to specialized, trained call receivers. The service is available no matter where you live within the County.

What is the Crime Check phone number?

The phone number is same one that was used for many years in the community: 456-2233.

How is the community paying for the restoration of Crime Check?

In the spring of 2008, Spokane County voters approved a 1/10th of 1 percent sales tax measure to enhance public safety communications within the County. A portion of the money generated through that sales tax measure will pay for the restoration of Crime Check.

When should I call Crime Check?

Citizens should call Crime Check:

  • To file a Police report over the phone on a crime that has already occurred.
  • To report a crime that you witnessed previously.
  • To provide information about a past crime.
  • To add information to an existing crime report.
  • To report a crime after the fact that doesn’t require an officer/deputy on scene.
  • Report Graffiti.

Remember, to report a crime in progress, call 9-1-1.

When is it OK to call 9-1-1?

Citizens should call 9-1-1:

  • If they are a victim of a crime that is in progress or just occurred or when the suspect is still in the area.
  • If you are a witness to crime in progress or that has just occurred.
  • If you need immediate police, fire, or emergency medical response.
  • If you need a rescue or are trapped.

What number do I dial to get an out of area 9-1-1?

  • Citizens should call 1-509-532-8940

For more Frequently Asked Questions from Crime Check. 

Vehicle Survey – Did You Pass?

What did you leave laying in your car’s front or back seat?

This morning when you arrived at work or school, parked and locked your vehicle what did you leave laying on the front or back seat of your vehicle?  Riverpoint Campus Security in Spokane, Washington recently surveyed over 700 vehicles that were parked in the parking lots throughout campus and the following list is what they found just by looking through the windows of the vehicles:

  • 60 vehicles contained laptop computers, I-pods, digital cameras, PDAs, video cameras
  • 131 vehicles contained personal mail, textbooks, school supplies, magazines
  • 82 vehicles contained CDs, DVDs, thumb-drives
  • 289 vehicles contained wallets, purses, backpacks, currency, clothes, garage door openers
  • 170 vehicles nothing was found

Most vehicle prowls occur because items are left in plain view for the thief to see and the items can be easily accessed.  The safest way to protect your vehicle and your belongings is to hide these items in places that cannot be seen by the prowler.  During this holiday season when you are shopping on your lunch hour place your purchased items in your trunk before returning to campus.   

If you should witness a vehicle prowl in progress:  DO NOT CONFRONT THE PROWLER!

  • Call 911 and report the prowl to the police.
  • If it is safe to do so, get a good description of the prowler
    • Race
    • Height
    • Weight
    • Build
    • Clothing (hat, shirt color and fit, pants color and fit, gloves, shoes)
    • Items that would make him stand out
    • Direction of travel

Do not leave anything in your vehicle that you do not want stolen if it should get prowled.  Remember to secure your vehicle by rolling up windows, locking all doors, trunks, hatches, bed-mounted tool boxes, and canopies. 

Cars are not the only victims of theft. Bicycles are stolen as well. Citizens can register their bike with their nearest C.O.P.S. substation. They will put a numbered sticker on the bike for identification purposes. Click here to find your substation.

Public Now Has Access to the Spokane County Jail RosterInmate Roster

Finding someone in the Spokane County Jail is now a whole lot easier. This website was started as a weigh to reduce the number of calls the jail staff receive every day. 

This site lists inmates, crime committed, release dates, and if there is a bond.  With a click of the mouse, you can view up to 1400 serious to less serious criminal profiles learning about them from race, gender, age, to the crime they committed.  This site provides just another way to learn who your neighbors might be.  This list includes inmates at the Spokane County Jail, Geiger Corrections Facility, and those that are on electronic home monitoring.