Mayor Nadine Woodward announced on February 24 that the Downtown Police Precinct will be relocating to a larger, more central location in the the heart of downtown Spokane.

Downtown Spokane Partnership staff worked alongside the administration to identify potential locations and help facilitate the transition. Centralizing the precinct is a smart move for downtown, and a priority of the DSP, for a variety of reasons.

Convenience and responsiveness:

• In their current location, officers who are responding to calls for service in the downtown core are most often driving from the Intermodal Center. This is inherently reactive, whereas the ideal type of policing in a downtown core is pro-active.
• With approximately 6,800 square feet, the new precinct will initially accommodate 23 officers, with space available for up to 35 officers, and seven Behavioral Health Unit members.
• The new location will also serve as a convenient central security hub for the large community events that downtown is known for.

A more visible and engaged downtown police force:

• Neighborhood policing is a best practice for building up urban neighborhoods, ultimately making them authentically inclusive for everyone. Downtown Spokane is currently adding upwards of 100 new residential units a year since in 2015.
• Broken windows policing applies the principle that the highest-density neighborhood/business district also requires a concurrently high level of police presence and staffing by officers who have the temperament for consistent outreach and engagement with everyone in the district, whether they are homeless, visitors, workers, or residents.
• Having a sizable number officers at the heart of your downtown core who are active in their outreach efforts, who cultivate relationships with the people they come across, and who apply the laws consistently and judiciously will have an enormous positive benefit for downtown, and the wider city.

The City is signing a 10-year lease at the Riverside and Wall location. The new precinct marks the renewed activation of a prominent downtown building, which is currently undergoing redevelopment led by owner and developer Confluent Development. The DSP will be committing efforts to help furnish the new space with assistance from the Spokane Transit Authority on parking.

New Spokane Police Precinct from SpokanePD on Vimeo.