From my many conversations with residents, I know crime – especially violent crime – remains a top concern in our communities. I believe ensuring a safe Tacoma is the most important responsibility of our city. That’s why I supported the Tacoma Crime Plan, a research-backed plan that employs “hot spot” policing in the near-term, problem-oriented/place-based policing in the mid-term, and a focused deterrence strategy in the long term.
Tacoma Crime Plan is already reducing crime in our city. Over the last year, we have decreased total crimes by over 20%, including many violent and property crimes across the city. I am proud of our men and women in uniform’s accomplishments in serving and protecting our communities.
However, more work must be done to lower our city’s current crime levels. We see too many homicides, drive-by shootings, and car thefts. Everyone deserves to feel safe in our community – we must re-double our efforts to bring down crime.
As your city councilmember, I will champion the advancement of later phases of the crime plan and broader efforts to make our city safe. We must continue attracting and retaining our officers to ensure we have the people needed to address criminal activity and respond to emergencies. We must also work with community groups, businesses, and neighborhoods to address the impact of criminal activity on them.
I will also prioritize pinpointing areas in our city with high levels of violent crime and combat it with proven public safety measures. This could mean cleaning trash, removing graffiti, or installing streetlights. It could also mean more programs for youth, support for neighborhood groups, or code enforcement.
During a time when more and more residents of our city have felt the impact of crime on their lives personally, we cannot sit back and watch as the problem grows. We must take action now. As I have heard from many of you, if our community is unsafe, very little else matters. I want Tacoma to remain a city where people want to buy a home, start a business, and raise a family. This means a focus on the most critical service – public safety.
