It’s Summer Safety Week in downtown Spokane! August 1 through 5, downtown is sharing resources and tips to foster a safer, more inviting, community for all. In downtown Spokane, there are multiple municipal and community agencies who are on hand to assist visitors, residents, employees and more to address safety concerns as they arise.

Did you know about the Downtown Ambassadors? A program of the Downtown Business Improvement District, Ambassadors help provide a visible public safety presence and observe, report, and prevent street disorders.

• Downtown Ambassadors are active seven days a week, typically between 8:00am and 6:00pm.
• In partnership with the Spokane Police Department, Ambassadors engage in problem solving to reduce the fear of crime and reduce street disorder.
• Ambassadors are downtown experts and available to assist the public with directions, resources or recommendations.
• In 2022 the ambassador team enhanced its mobility in the downtown core with the launch of a bike patrol program. Team members completed a 22-hour certification course in cooperation with the Spokane Police Department as part of the program’s launch. During the course, Ambassadors learned advanced maneuvering techniques and best practices for contacting individuals when arriving via bike.
• In 2021, Downtown Ambassadors had over 15,000 engagements with citizens, businesses and visitors.

If you’re downtown this week make sure to thank our team in blue!

Spokane Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) have been helping to promote and support an environment for a safe community across Spokane since 1992. Spokane C.O.P.S. is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) dedicated to crime prevention and safety for the Spokane community. Funded by the Spokane Police Department and partnering with the City of Spokane and the Department of Corrections, they are here to make Spokane a safe environment for all members of this community.

• Spokane C.O.P.S. are police-trained citizen volunteers who report, gather information about possible drug houses, and become effective crime fighters. They allow officers to spend more time working with citizens to solve crimes and disorder problems.
• Are you looking to make a positive impact and contribute to a safer community? Consider volunteering with Spokane C.O.P.S., where you can help make your community a better place to live! Learn more at https://www.spokanecops.org/.

Established in 2020, the downtown Spokane Police Department (SPD) precinct is located in the core just west of Wall Street on Riverside Avenue across the street from the STA Plaza. Downtown’s precinct has space for up to three dozen SPD Officers and members of the Behavioral Health Unit.

• Centrally located, downtown officers regularity patrol downtown on ebikes to better engage with the public through Community Policing, a law enforcement philosophy that allows officers to continuously operate in the same area in order to create a stronger bond with the citizens living nad working in that area. This allows public safety officers to engage with local residents and prevent crime from happening instead of responding to incidents as they occur.
• Spokane Police Department’s Behavioral Health handles cases of people in crisis and works to divert individuals from being involved with the criminal justice system and occupying the emergency room. Co-responder units are made up of a law enforcement officer or deputy paired with a clinician employed by Frontier Behavioral Health.
• One of the main goals of the Spokane Police Department is to engage with the community we serve. There are many ways you can engage with the Spokane Police Department. Opportunities include: volunteering as a citizen, Explorer, or Co-op. To learn more visit https://my.spokanecity.org/police/citizen/.
• SPD officers work hard to keep community safe but they can’t do it alone, you can help! If you see something, say something. Report it to Crime Check at 509-456-2233.