Spokane Mayor Dennis Hession and Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick today announced plans for key changes in Police staffing to focus on quality of life issues in the City core.

Starting in January, two more officers will be assigned to patrol the core of our city from People's Park to Garry Park four to five days a week during the swing shift. The officers will be on foot or bike, depending on weather conditions. The officers will focus on aggressive panhandling, vehicle prowling, lewd conduct, vandalism, and other street crime, which occurs more frequently in the downtown because of the concentration of people.

"This is about making our citizens and visitors feel and be safe in the heart of our City," says Mayor Dennis Hession. "One of our greatest assets as a community is our quality of life, and we are committed to ensuring and enhancing that."

This change will complement the work of a two-officer day shift bike patrol in downtown that was added this summer and the two neighborhood resource officers assigned to the downtown.

"My vision for the Spokane Police Department includes renewed emphasis on property and nuisance crimes that impact people in their daily lives," says Chief Kirkpatrick. "With this change, we will have increased safety for our students in the University District and Gonzaga University, our shoppers at downtown businesses, and our walkers and runners along the Centennial Trail."

The Spokane Police Department is able to add these patrol officers because of a change in staffing proposed in the Mayor's 2007 budget. A weekend traffic unit is being eliminated, with the positions transferred to patrol. The changes will double swing shift staffing in patrol.

The change also will enhance response times to emergencies, improve officer safety, and address crimes throughout the City.

"We are continuing to look for ways to deploy our officers and other resources to get the biggest positive impact for the community," Chief Kirkpatrick says. "This is one more step in this effort."