FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 1, 2022

MEDIA CONTACTS

Wendy Haddow, Tacoma Police PIO, whaddow@ci.tacoma.wa.us, (253) 306-2985
Megan Snow, Media and Communications, msnow@cityoftacoma.org, (253) 591-5051

The City of Tacoma’s Police Department provided an update on the Violent Crime Reduction Plan during the City Council Study Session on November 1.

During the presentation, Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore and the consultants from the University of Texas at San Antonio gave a presentation that included an overview of the Violent Crime Reduction Plan’s three phases, phase 1 outcomes from the first 90-days of implementation, and a discussion about ongoing efforts.

Beginning in early July, Tacoma Police Department began executing its near-term, hot spots policing strategy that focused on violence-prone addresses by increasing police visibility at or near those locations to deter violent offenders with the goal to drive down violent crime in and around these areas thereby impacting crime levels within larger geographical areas (e.g., patrol sectors).

Between July 6 and October 5, 2022, based on data analysis, 16 addresses were identified as treatment locations based on crime patterns over the previous 90 days and/or 12 months. Each of these locations were analyzed for temporal patterns of highest risk for violent crime and peak crime hours/days of the week were identified for each location. Officers were dispatched to each location during high-risk hours and were instructed to be within sight of the hot spot address for least 15 minutes with all vehicle lights illuminated. Otherwise, addresses received normal patrol and/or response to calls for service.

The results of these efforts were:

• At least one officer was present at the treatment location within the proscribed hour in 91.8% of all expected times
• Officers spent an average of 18:34 minutes at these locations
• Violent crime was down 37% in the treated locations compared to the previous 3 months and was 12% lower than last year during the same time period
• Violent crime dropped from 10-78% at treatment locations depending upon sector when compared to prior year monthly averages
• Catchment areas also consistently benefited from the strategy: crime down 45-56%
• No evidence of displacement
• Crime fell in every sector of the city at the treated addresses, in the surrounding catchment areas, and in all other areas of the sectors

The next steps will include a second hot spot period. The City does not share hotspot addresses with the community for safety reasons.

For more information about the Violent Crime Reduction Plan visit cityoftacoma.org/crimereduction. To see the full study session presentation, visit cityoftacoma.org/TVTacoma.

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