Police Department
About the Vancouver Police Department - Message from Chief Cook
It seems like each of my messages touches on this topic, and for good reason, it is a major issue the City of Vancouver faces and the Vancouver Police Department is preparing for the impacts the deficit will have on our staffing and services in the future.
The City’s engagement process included a community survey (on-line and by telephone); focus groups of random employees and residents; a meeting of key community stakeholders; and a “Community Viewpoints” meeting with interactive real and “virtual” polling using CVTV and TurningPoint technology, which concluded the formal outreach on May 11. According to analysis of the engagement, “Safe and Prepared Community” was identified as the community’s highest priorityStrategic Commitment, but participants also said they view that as being more than simply Fire, EMS and Police response. It’s also important to note that the community expressed a clear understanding of how interconnected all of the Strategic Commitments are, none stand alone.
As you may be aware, the annual General, Streets and Fire fund deficit forecast for 2011-12 is $10 million. Citywide strategies to reduce that number include streamlining and consolidations, including other measures such as a targeted restructuring of employee health care plans, as well as consolidation of administrative offices. With those measures factored, it appears the current impending deficit is estimated to be approximately $6.7 million. That remaining shortfall needs to be addressed with the budget adoption in November, keeping the city’s long-term costs and goals in mind.
The internal Horizons MLT is continuing its work. Presentations from the recent retreat summarizing the Horizons engagement and the budget challenges are posted on the City’s Horizon’s website at www.cityofvancouver.us/horizons. I encourage you to stay informed about the City’s budget issues by attending council meetings and visiting the City of Vancouver website for updates.
I encourage you to visit the VPD web pages frequently as well since the information changes often. We are utilizing our website more and more to provide citizens the ability to conduct various type of business and obtain forms and information, especially with our reduced staffing, both our Administration building and East Precinct closed to counter service and reduced hours at West Precinct..
Neighbors On Watch
I am proud to announce that the 5th class of citizen Neighbors On Watch (NOW) volunteers have graduated. The latest group of 17 citizens have completed 24 hours of specialized training in observation skills, police radio communications, citizen patrol procedures, and CPR/First Aid/AED training With the addition of these 17 volunteers the NOW membership consists of 64 volunteers.
NOW is a high visibility, non-confrontational, crime prevention program established in the City of Vancouver in 2008. NOW volunteers are “extra eyes and ears” in our community and assist VPD by reporting their observations while conducting citizen patrols. NOW volunteers patrol on foot, bike, and in their personal vehicles and they do a fabulous job. Their recent assistance handling phone calls from citizens who were possible victims of Identity Theft was a real asset to the patrol Sergeant who is investigating that case.
I encourage you to visit our NOW page as we are always accepting applications from citizens interested getting involved in their community in a new and meaningful way.
Thank you for taking the time to read my message.
Clifford R. Cook
Chief of Police, City of Vancouver, Washington
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