Tacoma leaders, police see violent crime plan ‘making a difference.’ Here’s what’s next

Touting the success of the first phase of Tacoma’s violent crime reduction plan, Police Chief Avery Moore and the plan’s authors announced at the City Council study session Tuesday that they will launch the second phase.

Mike Smith, the criminal justice chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio, reported that hotspot policing has led to a 21 percent decrease in violent crime incidents city-wide during the treatment period, from July 2022 to February 2023, compared to the previous 12 months, from July 2021 to June 2022. The first phase of the plan hoped to deter criminal activity by having officers drive to more than a dozen addresses with high rates of violent street crime – defined as aggravated assaults, murders and robberies – at peak times and activate their patrol car lights for 15 minutes.

In those 16 treatment locations, violent crime has dropped 19.7%, compared to the treatment period and last year.

Moore said there have been no homicides in the hotspot locations this year.

The second phase is problem-oriented, place-based policing, which will address underlying conditions that contribute to recurring problems. The first location will be 8810-8820 Hosmer Street where a closed Econo Lodge and a Quality Inn & Suites are. Smith said the location is one of the city’s highest crime areas. The location was based on a three-year analysis of violent crime, arrests and calls for service. The News Tribune reported last summer that South Hosmer Street was Tacoma’s “most dangerous street.”

A working group has started meeting to plan how to address the conditions at 8820 Hosmer Street. The mid-term strategy will combine traditional police enforcement efforts with code enforcement, nuisance abatement, environmental design changes and disorder-focused efforts. The group consists of the Tacoma Police Department, the Public Works Department, the Tax and License Office, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Tacoma Fire Department and the Community’s Police Advisory Committee.

Council member Joe Bushnell, who represents District 5 that covers Hosmer, said he appreciates the work of the police officers and community members to curb violent crime.

“This didn’t happen overnight,” he said during the meeting. “And certainly it’s not going to improve overnight, but working together as a community and looking toward that goal of having zero victims on Hosmer, I think, is achievable.”

In the next couple months, the working group will present and implement a site-specific operations plan.

Other locations for problem-oriented, place-based policing would be added in the future.

Moore said starting with one location would ensure city departments aren’t taking off more than they can chew and understanding what kind of expense is associated with the strategy.

Hotspot policing will continue during the second phase.

The violent crime reduction plan’s third phase focuses on deterring known offenders through social programs and increased investigative resources. This phase is set to begin six to 12 months after problem-oriented, place-based policing starts.

Moore said focused deterrence would focus on addressing the city’s prolific violent offenders who disproportionately commit homicides.

“I hope that our citizens can hold out with us to get to stage three of this plan, because I’m a little concerned,” Council member Sarah Rumbaugh, District 2, said, mentioning a homicide on Monday near the Sixth Avenue business district. It was the second homicide in less than a 24-hour span in Tacoma.

Moore responded saying addressing homicides is difficult. He said the department’s goal is to be more proactive and visible to have a deterring effect on homicides.

So far, this year there have been 15 homicides.

City leadership’s response to violent crime plan

Mayor Victoria Woodards said in a news release Tuesday that the city continues to see crime trending down overall, but there is much work ahead.

“We are working with our community to address the issue of community safety collaboratively and holistically,” Woodards said. “As we all know, community safety is not exclusively a police issue. It takes all of us working together.”

Deputy Mayor Kristina Walker said she is encouraged by the hotspot policing results and the work done for phase two of the plan.

“It’s absolutely making a difference,” she said.

City Manager Elizabeth Pauli said she understands there are concerns from the community about crime and, specifically, violent crime. She said the city is working on developing the Community Safety Plan and other efforts to continue addressing crime.

This story was originally published May 19, 2023 at 5:00 AM.