Statistics show that the City of Renton’s efforts to crack down on illegal behavior downtown, on trails and in parks and in neighborhoods are paying off, with a noticeable drop in crime.
It’s an evolving effort as officers will soon go undercover to combat crime around the Renton Transit Center and elsewhere in the downtown core.
Mayor Denis Law launched the zero-tolerance enforcement initiative in early June, with a team of eight officers and one sergeant charged with helping people feel safer downtown and elsewhere.
“Our recent analysis and statistics have been highly encouraging,” said Law. “We will continue to strategically focus police resources in problem areas to reduce crime and help make people feel safe.”
Even the criminals are noticing – and commenting about – the heightened patrols, says the sergeant who leads the initiative.
The City Council was briefed recently on the team’s efforts in the first 45 days and on the Police Department’s other initiatives.
The team’s sergeant, Todd Frazier, ran the council through the statistics, explaining how the team works and what comes next. He told the council the officers are “rigorously” enforcing the law, conducting a “close to zero-tolerance policy.”
“We are making contact with almost everybody we think is violating the law or has violated the law,” he said. The officers, he said, are “very visible.”
The officers are patrolling in cars, on foot and on bikes. They’ll ride a bus. They will follow a target.
The Direct Enforcement Team is made up of experienced officers, Frazier said. But he said they will receive additional training in investigations and in operating undercover. Part of that is to learn how to look “rugged,” just like the bad guys, he said.
As the initiative matures, it’s expected that about half the officers will wear uniforms, while the other half will wear plain clothes and work undercover, he said.
The team is hearing that the criminals only come to the transit center “when they don’t see uniforms there. We will test that theory,” he said.
In the 45 days or so, the officers have been busy. Police scanners have crackled with their activities. In that time they’ve contacted 768 individuals, made six felony arrests and issued 100 criminal citations.
“This is good news that we are making this kind of an impact with the redeployment of how we utilize our law-enforcement efforts in the downtown area,” said council member Greg Taylor. But, he also asked for similar statistics for June about the rest of the city and wondered whether the city needs to hire additional officers to maintain a balanced level of service in the city.
Police Chief Kevin Milosevich addressed the issue of what impact the beefing up of staffing downtown is having on other parts of the city.
“Patrol is running very lean right now,” said Milosevich, but the city won’t go below minimum staffing. An uptick in overtime costs might happen, he told the council, and there’s one less motorcycle officer on patrol.
Two or three officers will patrol the downtown core centered on the transit center at all times. Other officers will deploy as the situation demands.
At the same time officers have met with about 270 business owners to conduct extensive interviews about their concerns, Frazier told the council members.
The team is getting some positive feedback, from business people and the general public.
“They are literally giving us high fives,” Frazier said. There hasn’t been any major criminal activity since the initiative began in early June, he said.
Here is what the City of Renton is doing on other fronts.
Park, trail safety
The city has expelled 47 people considered the worst offenders engaging in unlawful or inappropriate behavior in its parks. The city increased patrols in its parks and trails and city staff and police officers are enforcing an ordinance that allows for expulsions.
Graffiti control
The incidence of graffiti and vandalism has dropped about 50 percent since the city launched its Wipe-Out Graffiti program in 2009.
Proactive enforcement
The Police Department estimates that more than 80 percent of all crimes are committed by a small group of offenders. To crack down on such repeat offenders, the city implemented a “Pro-Act” policy to interrupt such behavior using proactive and covert enforcement methods.
NUMBERS FOR PAST 45 DAYS
The statistics for transit center/downtown Renton
June 1-July 15
CONTACTS: 768
FELONY ARRESTS: 6
MISDEMEANOR ARRESTS: 23
FELONY/MISDEMEANOR WARRANT ARRESTS: 18
CRIMINAL CITATIONS: 100
INFRACTIONS: 198
• 97 written warnings
• 30 expulsions
