Innovative police plan will make Everett safer

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, December 14, 2006

If you live or work in Everett, the fact that crime is up isn’t news. Everett certainly isn’t the frightening place one national crime study suggested, but population growth and the scourge of methamphetamine addiction – which feeds property crimes – have stretched stagnant police resources too thin.

On Wednesday, the city responded with an intelligent, innovative plan to add 15 new police officers and two civilian positions in the next 12 to 18 months – the time it’s expected to take to hire and train that many officers. That will bring the police force from 181 officers to 196.

More immediately, current officers will go on overtime to launch the beefed-up offensive.

The City Council unanimously approved the moves Wednesday as part of the 2007 budget, following recommendations that came from a thorough police department study requested by Mayor Ray Stephanson. By the time they’re fully implemented in mid-2008, police should be starting to gain serious ground on rising levels of robberies, burglaries, car prowls and thefts, as well as drivers speeding through neighborhoods.

The beauty of this plan is that it doesn’t simply spend more money on the same old things.

* It targets crime prevention, focusing resources quickly in locations where problems are growing, attacking the roots of those problems before they spread. A civilian crime analyst will be hired to identify trends in their early stages, enabling new teams of anti-crime officers – freed from responding to routine 911 calls – to focus their attention where it will do the most long-term good.

* It beefs up traffic enforcement by adding five motorcycle officers and a traffic sergeant, and by using cameras at major intersections to cite red-light violators. Traffic stops have decreased by half in the past five years as patrol officers have had to respond to a growing number of calls. A dedicated traffic unit will focus almost exclusively on that job, increasing police visibility and making streets safer.

* It also adds a customer service unit during peak call times to assist citizens with non-emergency calls that can be handled effectively over the phone. That’s an important recognition that no crime victim should have to wait for hours wondering whether police are on the case.

“We get that being the victim of any crime, regardless of the severity, is a traumatic experience,” Stephanson said.

The $2 million annual price tag is sustainable, given revenue trends and the city’s success in holding down other expenses. The plan’s priorities are a direct response to neighborhood groups and businesses, whose concerns and ideas helped shape it.

Government has no responsibility more basic than public safety. Everett and its police department are taking that responsibility to heart.