HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 Annual Report - Police DepartmentMission Statement
We, the members of the Tukwila Police Department, are committed to being responsive to our
community in the delivery of quality services. We recognize our responsibility to maintain order,
while affording dignity and respect to every individual. Our mission is to improve the quality of
life for all through community partnerships and problem solving to promote safe, secure
neighborhoods.
TUKWILA POLICE DEPARTMENT
65771.0
LEADERSHIP -EXCELLENCE -ACCOUNTABILITY -DEDICATION
The Honorable Mayor Allan Ekberg, Tukwila City Council, and Tukwila Community:
On behalf of the members of the Tukwila Police Department, thank you for your support as we responded together to address the
challenges that impacted our nation in 2020. Communities around the world were incapacitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, while at the
same time our country experienced civil unrest and political divide not seen for decades. In partnership with the community, the Tukwila
Police Department established itself at the forefront of law enforcement, as it embraced the City's core values of being "Professional,
Responsive, and Caring" to the Tukwila Community.
The Department remained committed to building trust and reducing crime in our community through community engagement. In
2020, we implemented several strategies to
establishing transparency and
accountability. Members of the
Tukwila Police Department were
pivotal in the administration of policy
and the implementation of training at a
regional level for compliance with 1-940
and the Law Enforcement Training and
Community Safety Act (LETCSA). The
Valley Independent Investigative Team
(VIIT) members are considered experts
on independent transparent
investigations and helped other
agencies stand up their teams. During
the year, the Department searched for
and added community members to VIIT
to assist with the review of
independent investigations. The same
VIIT assigned community members
were asked to participate in our newly
created Use of Force Review Board.
In addition to the above strategies,
other community engagement activities
included: engaging homelessness in the
achieve our engagement goals, beginning with improving standards and processes for
City with empathy and providing resources to those in need, while ensuring the safety of everyone
in the community; participating in the T3AMS Juvenile Theft 3 diversion program, which continued to show a reduction in recidivism by its
participants; conducting "Bullyproof" training for Foster High School students. Many of our other standing engagement activities needed to
be cancelled due to the pandemic. Community Academy, Night Out Against Crime, Shop with a Cop, Touch a Truck, and other Community
gatherings were impacted.
The Tukwila Police Department began the process of accreditation through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs
(WASPC). Accreditation establishes accountability and improves processes through adoption of established best practices in law
enforcement. The Department is on track to be certified as an accredited agency in the Fall of 2021.
Recruitment and retention remained a priority for the department in 2020, although recruitment continued to be an issue nationally
and we felt the impacts in Tukwila as well. Due to budget restrictions associated with the pandemic, the Department ended the year down
10% of its commissioned staff. Addressing attrition in staffing with a renewed focus on quality recruitment efforts, we hired applicants that
share our values to best serve the community. Part of the recruitment efforts included a national search for a new Chief of Police after
Chief Bruce Linton retired at the end of September. We thank Chief Linton for his leadership and contributions, and wish him the best in
his retirement from law enforcement.
September also marked the official move into the new Justice Center for the Police Department and the Court. Due to the pandemic,
the Justice Center was unable to open its door to the public in 2020. We look forward to the community utilizing designated spaces in the
Justice Center for their purposeful gatherings in 2021.
The Tukwila Police Department is committed to building upon our relationships with the community and finding new ways to meet
their needs through creative communication and listening to the community through our engagement efforts.
We thank you for the continued opportunity to serve Tukwila!
The year 2020 was a challenging
one for the Investigations
Division, the Tukwila Police
Department, the City and many
others. The impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic, political
turmoil associated with the 2020
elections, and the social unrest
that spanned mid -spring through
the fall presented us with
challenges not previously faced.
Members of the Investigations
Division remained committed to
the Department and City vision,
mission, and values. We
adapted our work model to
include teleworking and
maximized the use of available
technology to collaborate and
remain effective despite social
distancing recommendations
and mandates. Detectives from
the Major Crimes Unit
investigated all types of felony
crime that occurred in 2020 and
continued working cases that
remained open from previous
years including unsolved "cold
cases". Other cases such as
missing persons are regularly
handled by this unit when they
require detailed investigative
efforts and special attention.
During 2020, 316 cases were
assigned to the Major Crimes
Unit for investigation. Many of
these cases were filed with the
King County Prosecutor, while
some remain open, and others
were closed for various reasons.
In general, felony crime in the
city was slightly lower than 2019.
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The Tukwila Anti -Crime (TAC) De*Weetives
remained active in both local,ional,
and nationwide investigations. Local and
regional narcotics and human trafficking
investigations are the primary `focus` of
the team, but some investigations lead to
interstate and occasionally international
investigations. Larger investigations
often require the assistance of our
regional, state, and federal partners as
the complexity, scope, and persons
involved in the investigation exceed what
the unit is capable of handling on its own.
For a second year in a row, our narcotics
detection K9 team was responsible for
the location and seizure of more than
$1,000,000 in cash suspect l_:to be the
profits of illegal narcotic iOW. In
addition to cash, illicit drugs including
heroin, cocaine, fentanyl, and others
were located and seized during
numerous investigations. Beyond their
duties as detectives, several personnel
within the Division have additional duties
with regional teams and specialties
within the Police Department. These
additional duties include serving as
members of the Valley SWAT Team,
Valley Civil Disturbance Unit, Valley
Hostage Negotiations Team, Valley
Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Valley
Independent Investigative Team, and
multiple instructor positions vital to the
training of a modern police department.
TIPS@TUKWILAWA.GOV
During the year, we said farewell to the
TAC Team and Major Crimes Unit
Sergeants, as well as our Domestic
Violence Victim Advocate as each retired,
with 30, 23, and 14 years of dedicated
service to the city and department. In
addition to retirements, we
congratulated Detective Ceith Cullens as
he was selected for promotion and
returned to the Patrol Division to serve as
a new Patrol Division Sergeant.
ATROL DI
Despite the
-- challenges, the
• division continued
to work as a team
providing
professional
services to th
community.
The Patrol Division was challenged in ways that were unprecedented
in the history of the Tukwila Police Department. Not only did the
officers have to handle the everyday challenges of their jobs, they
also had to navigate through riots, a worldwide pandemic, and a
move of operations to the new Justice Center all while still providing
professional services to the community they serve. The Patrol Division
received more than 30,000 calls for service and took 6785 cases that
were documented. Online reports became more prevalent as a way
for the community to report crimes. Officers and sergeants took a
total of 1257 online reports this year. De-escalation training was a
ISION
major focus of the officers. This training is evident by the decrease in
the number of times officers had to use force in the course of their
duties. Officers used force almost 19% less in 2020 than they did in
2019. The Patrol Division continued to allocate resources that
targeted crime hotspots within the city. Patrol officers continued
their close working relationships with other divisions within the
department, other agencies, and business owners to target and
address criminal activity. Bike patrols, foot patrols, speed
enforcement, business checks and targeted patrols helped reduce
and deter crime. During 2020, the Patrol Division struggled to
maintain their staffing levels. Injuries, illness, and departure from the
department affected the division's ability to remain fully -staffed.
Patrol had to be supplemented by other divisions to maintain
minimum staffing. Despite the challenges, the division continued to
work as a team providing professional services to the community.
Moving to the new Justice Center allowed members of the Tukwila
Police Department to communicate more frequently between
divisions. This ability to communicate on a day-to-day basis with
other divisions allowed officers to be engaged in a case from the
beginning of the process until the end.
SUPPORT SERVICES
DIVISION
The Support Operations Division,
comprised of two units, adds value
to the Tukwila Police Department
daily by meeting records and
evidence needs. This group of 13
people extends help to the
Department, community members,
Puget Sound residential members,
other law enforcement agencies,
City staff, prosecutors, defense
attorneys, Washington State Patrol
staff and many others.
The Records Unit processed 7,889
police reports in 2020, handled
records retention requirements and
provided statistical data for the
National Incident -Based Reporting
System (NIBRS). They administered
107 concealed pistol licenses, 815
firearm transfers, and one dealer's
license. Staff also processed 3,588
records requests, which took
approximately 1,638 hours of time.
In addition, they processed
warrants and court mandated
orders, reviewed and sorted 159
boxes of records per retention
requirements.
The Evidence Unit ensured the
proper security and chain of
custody for property and evidence
items taken in by the Tukwila Police
Department. In 2020, 3,321 items
of evidence and property were
processed, 4,780 items were
destroyed and 113 items were
donated. The unit continuously
received, stored, and disposed of
items taken into custody. Items
were purged as cases got
adjudicated, when they were no
longer needed as evidence due to
expiration of the statute of
limitations, or when they were no
longer needed to be held per
statute such as found property.
One of the Division's goals in 2020
was to focus on recruitment and
retention strategies to address
department staffing shortages.
They accomplished this goal by
hiring a
technician,
receiving a
second evidence
applying for and
grant for a 12 -month
disposition specialist position, and
hiring a records specialist to fill a
position vacated through
retirement. The second goal was to
leverage technology to improve
workplace efficiency and
communication. They were able to
digitize cases from 2005-2006 and
loaded them into Laserfiche, the
records management system. They
also accomplished the goal of
meeting all legal requirements by
completing 90% of an all -evidence
inventory, and successfully moving
from City Hall to the Justice Center
with no lapse in service, and
processing 2006, 2007 and 2008
records for disposition.
Officer being trained on applying tourniquet and deep wound packing.
The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) is responsible for training, the purchasing and inventory of equipment,
intake of new officers, and policy development and implementation. The unit is staffed with a commander, a
sergeant and a training officer. In 2020, the training officer digitized all training records to help with the
elimination of paper files. She handled all the training needs for the department including fees and travel
arrangements. The Training Unit also ensured that officers achieved the 24-hour training requirement for all
sworn personnel. They were also responsible for the development and implementation of new training to meet
the requirements of the Law Enforcement Community Safety Act that was passed in the state legislature. To meet
these requirements, a patrol tactics cadre was chosen for this important task. The cadre designed training based
on the requirements of the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center (WSCJTC) guidelines. The Tukwila
Police Department led the way to develop its own in-house training which was approved by the WSCJTC. Three 8 -
hour classes were designed, and training began in October. Much of the training was completed online because
of COVID-19 restrictions. The Training Unit successfully navigated this task to meet our training requirements.
This included our first aid and crisis intervention training.
The PSU was instrumental in the move to the Justice Center. The PSU sergeant supervised the relocation of all
police department equipment and organization to the new facility. He was also part of the committee to
oversee the successful transition. The PSU also added a new utility terrain vehicle to the fleet as well as
completed a rebuild and deployment of the police department rescue boat. PSU also was able to convert
quartermaster top an online approval process.
The Tukwila Police department hired three new officers in 2020. Two were entry level and one was a lateral
hire. The PSU ensured that these officers were trained not only in the academy, but also filled shortfalls in
CJTC training due to COVID to ensure that these officers were prepared to go into field training program.
The PSU was responsible for developing, implementing, and updating department policies to ensure that the
department provides professional service to the community. To this end, they had also been working to
become an accredited agency through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
They started the process of reviewing and updating policies to WASPC standards. This accreditation process is
scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2021. Accreditation will ensure that the Tukwila Police
Department meets the highest standards and is in line with state and national policies and laws. It will not
only guarantee quality service, but also helps with funding opportunities through grants.
ARDS Division
As was the case for nearly everyone, 2020 presented •
incredible challenges to the Community Police Team (CPT) S p e c I a p
I era
and the Community Liaison Officer (CLO) program. The year
began as any other for the team as they participated in
several neighborhood meetings, where they collaborated with the residents and worked to prioritize and aggressively pursue
the criminal activity. The CPT/CLO taught orientation classes at the International Rescue Committee that comprised of
international refugees new to the United States with the goal of familiarizing themselves with American police. The team also
continued their outreach efforts to the Tukwila homeless population to help get them off the streets and into stable housing.
Then March came and the world changed. The teams jumped to the forefront of the COVID pandemic response as they
contacted every homeless individual in the city who were most at risk for serious infection of the virus. They distributed
sanitizer and masks and
directed people to safe,
socially distant shelters when
available. Community and
neighborhood meetings
moved to Zoom, Microsoft
Teams, and email as the team
continued to go out of their
way to maintain close ties to
the community. Utilizing this
model, CPT detectives along
with TAC detectives and the
patrol division were able to E
work with residents of an p t11
apartment complex to single °41
out an apartment that was 1
dealing in narcotics and stolen
goods. With the help of the i
residents, the problem _ it
individuals were sought out, "—
arrested and prosecuted. A
search warrant of the
apartment yielded drugs,
stolen property, and a number _
of arrests of tenants andilk
1
others associated with the
room. As the pandemic lingered on, the Community Liaison Officer worked with our many houses of worship regarding safely
reopening to in person congregations amid state guidelines. CPT also drafted, submitted and was awarded a substantial grant
from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission for a Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety program to be implemented in 2021. The
grant is to assist in improving safety, particularly in the Tukwila International Boulevard corridor. Finally, they also assisted in
envisioning and drafting a proposal for a co -responder program which would embed a mental health professional to improve
the Tukwila Police Department's response to those experiencing mental health crisis. The Community Police Team and
Community Liaison Officer look forward to 2021 to continue to bridge the divisiveness in our society and increase the trust and
legitimacy in the Tukwila Police Department and policing as a whole.
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The Traffic Unit is responsible for traffic
safety and enforcement in the city, the
investigation of traffic collisions, and
criminal traffic investigations. The unit
consists of four officers and one sergeant. —
In 2020, the Traffic Unit wrote 488 traffic
infractions and handled 126 criminal
traffic cases. They investigated numerous.
serious injury collisions to include fatality
collisions. Not only does they take care of
traffic related issues, they also handle
patrol calls during periods of high call
volume. The Traffic Unit has focused on
residential speed enforcement throughout
the year. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic,
the unit has been pulled away from their
primary duties on several occasions to assist with patrol shortages. They
provided escort services, allowing for safe movement of people involved with
several protests that occurred in the City of Tukwila. Additionally, traffic
officers provided training to department members in RADAR/LIDAR, defensive
tactics, firearms, and collision investigation.
PROMOTION
Senior Manager Rebecca Hixson
Commander
Dale Rock
Sergeant
Isaiah Harris
Sergeant
Ceith Cullens
EMPLOYEES OF
Records Specialist
enne z t era ge
Officer
Evidence Lead
Detective
II LIFE SAVING MEDALS
Officer Oziel Arjona
Officer Kellie Greenhill
Officer Isaiah Harris
Commander Todd Rossi
Officer Jon Thomas
Officer Peter Tiemann
Officer Aaron Zwicky
PS
MERITORIOUS SERVICE MEDAL
Officer Kenneth Etheridge
THE QUARTER
Christina Titialii
Records Specialist
Henry Linehan
Detective
Patrick Hisa
Detective
Officer
CRIME IN TUKWILA
Population
Calls For Service
Crimes Against Persons
Murder
Rape
Robbery
Aggravated Assault
TOTAL CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS
Crimes Against Property
Arson
Burglary
Larceny
Auto Thefts
TOTAL CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY
2020
2019
2018
0;
28,646
30,189 31,266
2 3
•
24 19
64 70 69
50 61 58
148 157 149
13 1 4
223 184 272
2,295
2,744 2,614
547 488 579
3,078 3,417 3,469
rte+ — —
The Tukwila Police Department submits its crime data through the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). WASPC then sends the state's crime data to the FBI.
The FBI has mandated that all reporting starting in 2021 is done via the National Incident -Based Reporting System (NIBRS) rather than the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) standards.
In previous annual reports, UCR data was reported, but in compliance with the FBI, we are now reporting NIBRS data. The same categories are used, and the 2017 and 2018 data was
updated to NIBRS standards in this report. The numbers reported here are pulled from the WASPC website; additional data points are researched for analysis.
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400
COMPARATIVE TOTALS WITH 3- YEAR COMPARISON
Population
Budget
Police Staff:
Commissioned
Non -Commissioned
Calls For Service
Traffic Citations/Infractions Issued
Reported Vehicle Accidents:
Injury
Fatal
Non -Injury (not including hit-and-run)
Injury hit-and-run
TOTALS
2020
2019
2018
21,229
20,198 20,144
17,682,031 18,962,996 17,966,627
78 * 78 78
prim IP 11
28,646
30,189 31,266
149
209
4
2 2
2921 428
7
23 13
45 662 63.
*During the year, the department operated with seven frozen commissioned positions and one frozen non-commissioned position.
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Expenditures
Police Operations
Jail
Dispatch
King County Animal Control Services
Total Expenditures
Revenue Category
Contracted Services
Grants
Response Generated
Total Revenues
Budget Category
Police Operations
Jail
Dispatch
King County Animal Control Services
Total Budget (Post Amendment)
ONLY INCLUDES GENERAL FUND
2020 Expenses
2019 Expenses A, 2018 Expenses
15,323,581 $ 16,078,989 ® $ 15,155,622
1,069,946 $ 1,626,355 1111' $ 1,579,506
1,174,997 $ 1,152,470 $ 1,131,133
113,507 $ 105,182 $ 100,365
17,682,031 $ 18,962,996 $ 17,966,627
AE
ONLY INCLUDES GENERAL FUND
2020 Revenue 2019 Revenue -1.111111 2018 Revenue
$ 98,904 $ 108,939 ' $ 289,770
$ 133,142 $ 240,355 $ 272,979
$ 158,082 $ 195,616 $ 185,970
$ 390,128 $ 544,910 $ 748,719
ANNUAL BUDGET FIGURES
2020 Budget
2019 Budget 2018 Budget
$ 16,946,733 $ 16,502,365 $ 15,804,875
$ 1,100,146 $ 1,626,355 $ 1,633,405
$ 1,212,591 $ 1,177,353 $ 1,168,917
$ 131,250 $ 125,000 $ 118,852
$ 19,390,720 $ 19,431,073 $ 18,726,049
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2020 City Council
Council President De'Sean Quinn
Council Member Verna Seal
Council Member Kathy Hougardy
Council Member Kate Kruller
Council Member Thomas McLeod
Council Member Zak Idan
Council Member Cynthia Del
City Administration
Allan Ekberg, Mayor
David Cline, City Administrator
Police Administration
Bruce Linton, Chief of Police (Through September 30, 2020)
Eric Dreyer, Interim Chief of Police (Beginning October 1,2020)
Eric Lund, Acting Deputy Chief
Todd Rossi, Commander
Kraig Boyd, Commander
Dale Rock, Commander
Rebecca Hixson, Senior Manager