How Tacoma plans to tackle rising street crime
Tacoma city leaders say violent street crime in their town has nearly doubled over the past year. And the number of murders is on pace surpass last year's.
That was some of the information Chief Avery Moore shared with the public and the Tacoma City Council Tuesday as he detailed his crime reduction plan. The plan covers 2022 through 2025.
It's being rolled out in three phases focusing on near term, mid term, and long term strategies.
Near term. This strategy is already underway. It calls for increasing police presence in "crime hotspots." For example, just 24 addresses accounted for roughly 12% of Tacoma's reported violent crime over the past year.
Chief Moore says research shows having officers sit in stationary cars with their lights flashing reduces violent crime in such areas.
Mid term (place-based policing). Identify places with higher crime rates, gather local stakeholders, and develop strategies to tackle everything from physical and social disorder, graffiti, and code enforcement. At the same time, encourage social use of the space.
Long term: Focused deterrence. This strategy aims to change the behavior of high-risk offenders. It includes community involvement and communication, and providing alternatives to violence. It also involves communication with local gangs.
Read Chief Moore's full plan here.
The chief will update council members about the departments progress every 90 days.
