Downtown Tacoma has been fortunate to have Jim Pincham and Marty Price as our downtown officers for the past eight years. Two years ago the BIA successful advocated to delay Marty and Jim’s six-year career rotation and the officers remained in downtown for an additional two years. Unfortunately, we’ve been notified by the Tacoma Police Department (TPD) that their time is up and downtown will get two new officers starting January. Jim and Marty have been true assets to the downtown community. During their tenure downtown has experienced a dramatic decrease in crime, a trend we hope to continue with their replacements.
Thank you, Marty and Jim for your service to downtown. We hope that your new assignments will keep you in the neighborhood!
The people are not the only thing that will change in this reassignment process. The new officers (yet to be named) will patrol downtown on bikes and work the swing shift from the afternoon into the night. Jim and Marty worked the day shift. This change was sparked by a recent analysis that indicated calls for police service in downtown are highest between 5pm and 11pm.
Additionally, two Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) will be assigned to downtown. Officer Wayne Beales and Officer Scott Newbold will cover downtown from 5am to 5pm. Between the new schedule for the downtown officers and the newly assigned CLOs, there will be more dedicated police coverage for downtown than we’ve had in years!
Thank you, Marty and Jim for your service to downtown. We hope that your new assignments will keep you in the neighborhood!
The people are not the only thing that will change in this reassignment process. The new officers (yet to be named) will patrol downtown on bikes and work the swing shift from the afternoon into the night. Jim and Marty worked the day shift. This change was sparked by a recent analysis that indicated calls for police service in downtown are highest between 5pm and 11pm.
Additionally, two Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) will be assigned to downtown. Officer Wayne Beales and Officer Scott Newbold will cover downtown from 5am to 5pm. Between the new schedule for the downtown officers and the newly assigned CLOs, there will be more dedicated police coverage for downtown than we’ve had in years!
So no coverage from 11pm to 5 am?
ReplyDeleteNot a good idea in my opinion and I've lived downtown for six years. Drug dealers and gang bangers love working and causing problems during those hours...
The hours that downtown is most likely to self-police is during business hours - there are enough law abiding citizens out and about that care. If you are going to eliminate coverage, do it during business hours.
Scout, this new plan from TPD actually significantly adds police coverage to downtown. Currently, officers are only assigned to the BIA between the early morning and late afternoon. Outside of those hours, CLOs and other Sector One officers patrol downtown, but are not specifically assigned to be here. This change will increase TPD's presence downtown.
ReplyDeleteThe BIA patrols downtown until 3am most days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for clarification
ReplyDeleteScout and to anyone who reads this BLOG. My name is Rob Jepson, I am the One Sector Lieutenant. I have been in this position since April, and I am making several changes to help direct police services to issues. Anyone can contact me at anytime via email at rjepson@cityoftacoma.org for any issue; and I will answer the email. Even if the issue in not TPD related - I will try to get you connected with the right people for the issue. TPD will also be rolling out an new website soon where citizens can email concerns (not crime in progress - but concerns). Remember, if I don't know about the concern I cannot work on addressing it.
ReplyDeleteThanks.