Taking on Seattle crime on foot

A hybrid plan to have Seattle police bicycle patrols park their bikes for some of the time and walk neighborhoods is a welcome change.

The heightened visibility of police on the street will not only improve the perception of public safety but also reduce crime. That prediction is backed up by recent academic research.

Interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz announced that on April 1 foot patrols will be added in Belltown, Pioneer Square and the Chinatown International District. Patrol times and beats will be shaped to match local needs and concerns.

The plan, endorsed by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, parallels recommendations by City Councilmember Tim Burgess, who proposed more foot patrols as part of a package to address street crime and street disorder in downtown Seattle.

A stronger police presence is aimed at the real and perceived threats of robbery, theft, aggressive solicitation and open-air drug markets. Burgess said the opportunity to expand foot patrols beyond downtown came with a police-hiring program that began in 2008.

The city has a five-year plan to add 21 officers a year, and the third year is underway. Budget questions linger about 2011 and 2012. The flexibility created by more sworn officers makes future hires a spending priority.

Earlier in the decade Seattle had tucked police back into squad cars so that fewer officers could cover larger patrol areas.

Burgess uses the expression "cops matter," to reinforce the importance of having police present and visible. Foot patrols and the personal relationships created not only reduce fear but also yield information that prevents crime.

Seattle police are working with community councils and precinct-advisory councils to make effective use of the patrols and monitor the public's sense of its own comfort and safety on the street.

Researchers have long understood the value of foot patrols in improving community perceptions of police, but there was skepticism about crime fighting. A joint project between the Philadelphia Police Department and the Department of Criminal Justice at Temple University is changing minds.

Results published in February revealed the power of intelligence-fed targeting of foot-patrol officers. Violent crime in target areas decreased 22 percent. Vehicle-related crime decreased 12 percent. Drug-related incident detentions were up 28 percent. Arrests increased 13 percent in target areas. Smart planning even anticipated and dealt with the expectations of bad behavior being displaced to nearby areas.

Tucked into those statistics are residents and neighborhoods that feel safer. Foot patrols matched to the needs and areas they serve are welcome.