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SPD Chief O'Toole highlights community policing in video message

Seattle, Wash. — Chief Kathleen O’Toole, who has been in charge of the Seattle Police Department for a week, emphasized in a YouTube video the need for citizen input in creating a policing plan for each community.

“I plan to spend a lot of time in the field, interacting with police officers on the front lines, and members of the community we serve,” O’Toole said in the video she posted Sunday.

See the video here: http://youtu.be/EyEdEVFBAHY

“I’ve always felt that people living and working in our neighborhoods have the most valuable perspectives on the challenges we face. With the input of cops on the beat, and members of the community, we’ll develop community policing plans for each neighborhood of the city.”

Pat Murakami, president of the South Seattle Crime Prevention Council, said her group has already been working with the local precinct for years.

Still, the chief’s message is a welcome one.

“I think it’s excellent. Because we’ve had some captains that will work with community, and other captains that will pretty much ignore community,” Murakami said.

She said she hopes their community can talk about getting more officers on bike and foot patrols, more officer hires that reflect the ethnicity of their neighborhood, and more open lines of communication with the precinct.

In Capitol Hill, neighborhood leaders like Shaun Knittel of Social Outreach Seattle also hope to see more officers on the streets.

Knittel said, “Without a doubt, more cops visible on the streets at times when it makes sense. If the bars let out at two o’clock, how come we can’t see any police, ever?”

Knittel was invited to walk with O’Toole and Seattle police during the Seattle Pride Festival Sunday. He said they had positive conversations about how to engage stakeholders in the Capitol Hill community in upcoming meetings.

After watching Chief O’Toole’s video, he said, “It was inspiring! I think for those of us that do community organizing and community work, we are the eyes and ears of our neighborhoods.”

Laura Campbell, a neighborhood block watch captain registered with the city of Seattle, said she also looks forward to seeing more collaboration.

Campbell said the existing Community Police Team program deserves more resources. She said she wonders if O’Toole would expand the project or change it.

“I would have some suggestions for her, such as increase funding for the CPT officers, the community police team program. I'm sure there's a lot more they wish they could do, and I'm sure if they talked to her, they would have tons of ideas for her,” Campbell said.

In the video, O’Toole also talked about her four main priorities: restoring public trust, restoring department pride and professionalism, addressing crime and disorder in our neighborhoods, and managing effectively and efficiently.