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.
