Sparkling cider corks popped and “Welcome to Kirkland” banners were unveiled as city dignitaries and residents celebrated the annexation at midnight on June 1.
The city’s population exploded to more than 80,000 residents as Kirkland absorbed the Kingsgate, Finn Hill and North Juanita neighborhoods. But once the excitement settled, not much changed – except one visible aspect.
Right away, many new residents noticed the increased Kirkland Police presence.
“All of a sudden, they see police cars all over – there are several reasons for that,” said Eric Olsen, Kirkland Police chief.
This is part three of a four-part series that will examine policing in the new neighborhoods.
Police everywhere
Olsen said the main reason why people may have noticed an increased police presence is because the Kirkland Police Department (KPD) is hiring 37 new officers due to the annexation. The majority of those officers are already trained and on staff.
Olsen points to a neighborhood map that outlines each of the KPD’s patrol districts. One officer is assigned to each of the new neighborhoods, or Districts 6-8.
Originally, the King County Sheriff’s Office policed the entire area with one deputy, said Olsen.
Now, in addition to the three officers, new residents may see additional units, such as senior officers providing back-up or the K-9 unit. One of the first things the department did in June was it made an emphasis to police the school zones in the area since it was the end of the school year, Olsen noted.
“So all of a sudden overnight, my gosh, there’s a cop in every school zone,” he said. “So if somebody came in and said there’s cops all over the place, I would explain our staffing numbers. In actuality, when you look at the number of officers we have per our population, we’re staffed pretty low, but it is what it is.”
But there are other reasons for the increased presence as well.
What residents are saying
In the weeks following annexation, the Reporter received dozens of letters from residents concerned about the many cops in the new areas.
Some were in support of the change. William Archer, a police officer for another city, said: “We all know the King County Sheriff’s Office has had budget cuts for several years that reduced general patrolling in most of the county and we got used to it. So I’m pleased when I see a police car rolling by trying to prevent crime in my community verses simply responding to incidents as they occur.”
Others, like Annie Matthews, have thanked the KPD for not only patrolling the new neighborhoods, but for getting to actually know the residents there.
In fact, the most surprising thing about the annexation so far for Captain Bill Hamilton has been the positive responses and “how welcome we have been as a police department up there,” he said. “Our officers have been very, very pleased with the comments we’ve been getting from the annexation community. Making a difference is one thing, making an immediate difference is another.”
But not all feedback has been positive.
Russ Perman criticized the KPD and said “Kirkland is not a police state.”
A past Kingsgate resident himself, Hamilton cited one comment he received from a resident who said, “I thought I was annexed, not occupied,” recalled Hamilton, noting most of the negative input has to do with police visibility.
But the KPD is also “highly visible on purpose,” said Hamilton, noting not all police activity generates a citation.
A couple years ago, the KPD transitioned its fleet to black and white vehicles, said Olsen.
“The reason was obvious – high visibility,” said Olsen. “If I can’t put a cop on every corner, I want people to think that a cop is on every corner and that’s what the black and whites do.”
Hamilton sees the complaints as “almost rewarding” because it means the KPD has achieved visibility in the new neighborhoods.
“And that’s one of our philosophies is if you are visible, then you can deter crime,” added Olsen. “How many people have alarm stickers on their houses who don’t have alarms on their homes?”
Citizens’ requests for enforcement
Hamilton commented on how quickly new residents have provided input to the KPD.
In fact, a majority of KPD’s citations to date “have actually been a response to citizens’ requests for enforcement,” he said.
That’s another reason why residents may see an increase in cops is because officers are working complaint zones.
Hamilton said the department has a system that tracks resident’s complaints and how officers respond. According to the data, speeding and failing to stop are the biggest issues for residents so far, said Olsen.
When responding to a traffic complaint, officers are asked to use their discretion, said Olsen, noting there’s a 50-50 split between the number of citations issued and warnings in the new neighborhoods.
“The visibility and the community involvement should lead to a reduction in crime or at the very least an enhanced feeling of safety,” said Hamilton.
And although it is difficult for the KPD to measure whether its enforcement has lowered the crime rate, “I think the best measurement will be people’s feeling of safety and quality of life,” said Hamilton.
Just after annexation, he said many residents requested more enforcement in the area, said Hamilton.
“We’re actually getting an increase in complaints on quality of life issues now from the community,” he added. “So it started out we need more enforcement, and now what about that boat or Winnebago in front of my neighbor’s house and things along those lines. I think the fact that they’re now calling on that in addition to enforcement requests is a good indication they are aware of our level of service.”
Look for the final part of this police series next week.
Reporter Matt Phelps contributed to this report.
