SPOKANE, Wash. — City leaders such as Mayor Nadine Woodward and Spokane Police Department (SPD) Chief Craig Meidl held a press conference on Second Avenue and Division Street to announce the city’s zero tolerance policy for all crime.
Over the past week, SPD has dedicated officers from the downtown precinct, Violent Crimes Task Force, Special Investigations Unit, the Homeless Outreach team, Tactical (TAC) Team and the regional task force to focus on the area around Second and Division.
“Shootings, other crimes of violence, drug use and drug dealing, human trafficking and prostitution, theft, trespassing, malicious mischief, littering, all have created an environment in the core of our downtown area that is intolerable,” Meidl said.
SPD has been and will continue to increase the police presence in the downtown corridor area.
“In the last week alone, we have made hundreds, hundreds of contacts. 60 plus arrests. With those arrests comes guns off the street. We’ve confiscated guns. Large amount of fentanyl pills. And we’ve identified people who are actively participating in human trafficking,” Cpt. Steven Wohl said.
Mayor Woodward talked to the press about complaints the city has received from downtown business owners.
“What they see on the street is open drug deals, drug use, and the devastating impacts of addiction. Fentanyl foils, feces, tons and tons of garbage. And they see the result of failed policy,” Woodward said.
The leaders added that officers will likely have to work overtime to handle the crime.
Woodward expressed that while the city will be increasing the police presence in the area, the city needs more police officers. Woodward told the press that the city and SPD are looking to increase recruitment efforts to combat the city’s crime issues.
