Coffee with cops meets again in Rainier

Coffee with cops took place, in Rainier, for the second time this past Tuesday night.  It was standing room only at Sonja’s Restaurant, as concerned area citizens met with Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza, Under Sheriff Tim Braniff and Lieutenant Paul Counts.  Again, a one hour scheduled exchange of information session lasted over two hours. Superintendent of Schools, Tim Garchow, Councilman Denise McVey and Juliette Pia from Rainier community care were among the many that offered input into the conversations.

The two way exchange of information helped both citizens and deputies better understand the concerns and problem’s facing the Rainier community.  Deputy Counts commented on what a great job Garchow and Pia have been doing with our communities youth and that more citizen involvement in community activities will help strengthen the community and our youth.

Thurston county sheriff’s department has .5 deputies for every 1,000 citizens.  1 deputy per 1,000 would be a much better ratio and would help greatly with response times. We live in the 6th most populous county in the state.  Arrests have been made on area burglaries and has consequently caused the crime rate to drop in the Rainier area.

Suggestions were made that  more emphasis on “crime watch.” Citizen awareness and involvement, with good proactive preparation, help reduce crime. Keep an eye on neighbors’ homes, keep property visible from the street, better lighting, and surveillance cameras at area businesses - all help reduce burglaries. 

We need to call whenever we see illegal activities going on.  When calling 911 please clearly relate as much information as possible.  A good description of persons involved, license plate number and color of vehicle as well as the reason for the call.  The more information the better the help to the deputies in responding to any situation. 

The Sheriff was asked about his support of the second amendment.   He stated firmly that he supports all rights that the American Constitution bestows on us, including the right to bare arms.

In response to a question, it was pointed out that County Commissioner Sandra Romero holds monthly meetings in Yelm as well as Rainier where the community discusses current topics with local citizens.  It was asked if she could schedule an occasional evening meeting, so that more citizens might attend.

“Coffee with a Cop” seems to be working well in the community; bringing a much better understanding of how proactive involvement help everyone in preventing crime. I’m sure that we will hear much more about reestablishing a good community watch program city wide as more citizens become aware of the impact that they can have in preventing crime.

The next scheduled “coffee with cops'” will be on March 18th at 6 PM. Bring a friend and meet  some of Thurston Counties finest.