1. BELLEVUE POLICE DEPARTMENT
Respect, Integrity, Accountability, Service
Good afternoon Mayor and Council. The purpose of this presentation is to provide you with information related to the operation of the police department. At the conclusion of my presentation Detective Amanda Jensen and Mr. Mike McCormick – Huentelman will join me as we answer any questions you might have.

2. Organization Comprised of 180 commissioned staff 44 professional staff
Two Divisions-Operations and Support Services with one Deputy Chief running each division

3. BPD Organizational Chart

4. Police Service Model Police Department provides crime control through:
24 hour Patrol/response
Community Policing
Traffic Enforcement & Collision Investigation
Criminal Investigation
Public Access to Records
Property Evidence Retention / Destruction
Volunteer program

5. Police Staffing Model 8 Patrol Squads for 24 hour coverage
Traffic unit with Motors & Collision Investigators
K-9
Special Enforcement Team
Courts / Custody
Investigations (violent crimes, property, fraud, forensics)
Eastside Narcotics Task Force

6. Specialized Assignments
Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT)
Bomb Unit
Hostage Negotiations Team
Field Training Officers
Firearms Instructors/Defensive Tactics Instructors, Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructors
Evidence Technicians
Crowd Control
Honor Guard

7. Citizen Satisfaction
Bellevue Citizens rated Public Safety the #1 budget priority.
98% of citizens feel safe or very safe walking alone in their neighborhood
94% feel very safe or very safe walking alone downtown after dark
Of citizens who have contacted police, 81% gave high marks for the quality of service

8. As you can see from this bar graph violent crime has been consistent with a 5 year average of 142 violent crimes per year. For clarification, as it pertains to this slide, violent crimes include Homicide, Rape, Robbery and Aggravated Assault.
Data AND Trends

9. Property crimes steadily increased between 2012 and 2014
Property crimes steadily increased between 2012 and This trend was not unique to Bellevue. Communities across the nation witnessed increases in property crimes. Some suspect it was due to the re-appearance of heroin among drug abusers as well as the illegal prescription drug trade. The most common property crime communities deal with are vehicle prowls. In some case it takes a criminal less than a minute to enter a vehicle, steal property and vanish. Unfortunately, at time the public makes the criminal’s job real easy and as they leave their valuables in plain sight and their vehicle doors unlocked. In the coming months, the Bellevue Police Department will make educating the community on how to avoid becoming a victim priority.
Data AND Trends

10. As you can see, overall we are witnessing a downward trend in violent crimes this year. A year to year comparison reveals total violent crimes have decreased by 20% during this past year for the reporting period January thru June.
Data AND Trends

11. We have also witnessed a decrease in property crimes during this same reporting period. Overall we have witnessed a 6% decrease in property crimes. However, in both cases, the 2-3 year trend has been an increase in both categories. While the numbers are encouraging, I do not want to set a false expectation. The Bellevue Police Department will continue to work hard to reduce crime by working closely with the public, businesses, and, of course, other city departments to drive crime down and then keep it down.
Data AND Trends

12. This is a more focused graph depicting crimes of particular interest to the average citizen. Residential burglaries remained about the same between 2014 and Commercial burglaries are up a bit; however, motor vehicle prowls are down by 20%. We are also witnessing a reduction in the number of incidents involving vandalism and simple assault. Encouraging numbers, yes, but we are not celebrating yet.
Data AND Trends

13. Data AND Trends Benchmark Cities
This slide provides a snapshot of how crime in Bellevue compares to other communities from around the country that are similar in size, demographics or other characteristics. Comparing ourselves to these Benchmark Cities is a great way for the City of Bellevue to determine how we measure up against communities of similar demographics in terms of incidents of crime. As you can see, the issues and challenges we face here in Bellevue are similar to many other communities, and in some cases, we are in better shape comparatively speaking. For clarification purposes, Part 1 crimes include: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, vehicle theft and arson.
Data AND Trends

14. A little bit closer to home, the information on this graph demonstrates that, as we compare ourselves to several local communities, most of which are significantly smaller in population, in 2014 the City of Bellevue, a small mid-size city, faired well in terms of keeping crime under control.
Data AND Trends

15. Police Department Challenges
Diversity
Language
Cultural
Population Growth
Density
Vertical policing
External Factors
Destination City (dignitary visits)
Mandated Training
Technology
Recruiting, hiring, and retaining quality staff

16. Planning for the Future
Working Smarter
Using Technology to reduce and solve crime
Effectively utilizing current resources
On-line reporting/Field reporting
Attention to details (fixing broken windows)
Strategic planning/regional partnerships
NORCOM

17. Planning for the Future
Safety
Tasers for first responders
AEDs in patrol units and at sub-stations
Staffing increase to stay ahead of the increased calls for service as city grows
Problem solving with community

18. Planning for the Future
Relations
Diversity focus Group
Employee and customer annual surveys
Career growth and succession planning
Bellevue Police Foundation
Internationally accredited

19. Questions?