Tacoma police chief to meet with business owners concerned about rising crime

TACOMA, Wash. — The Tacoma Business Council (TBC) will be holding a virtual Q&A with Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore on Monday.

Kristen Wynne, the president of TBC, said hundreds of business owners in Tacoma have reached out to participate in the organization. The group was formed by several business owners after a business summit in late January at the LeMay car museum.

“In hearing what the business owners had to say throughout all parts of Tacoma, it was necessary for us to start an organization to collaborate. (And) to present a voice for businesses within our community to be able to solve issues impacting economic stability of the community, which are being negatively impacted by crime,” Kristina Maritczak, the chair of TBC’s Solution Committee, said. “Businesses felt like their voices weren’t being heard.”

“Public safety is job No. 1 for any local government. Nothing else can happen if you can not keep your citizens safe,” Wynne said. “I think along the way, that’s gotten a little lost.”

Numbers show crime has risen in Tacoma in recent years. In 2020, there were 4,467 reported violent crimes, including more than 4,021 assault offenses and 30 homicides. In 2021, there were 5,242 reported violent crimes, including 4,813 assault offenses and 31 homicides. As for property crimes, there were 21,569 reported for 2020, including 134 arsons, 2,059 burglaries and 8,638 thefts. In 2021, there were 25,534 reported violent crimes, including 241 arsons, 2,270 burglaries and 9,487 thefts.

“What I don’t think people understand is people are prepared to leave (the city of Tacoma),” Maritczak said. “It’s not easy to relocate a business. … To them, they are incurring an enormous cost, an enormous risk to leave a city that they love. Imagine what has to exist for this to occur.”

Maritczak said the organization’s solutions are constantly evolving, as they continue to speak with more business owners and members of the community. Most, if not all, of their current proposals involve the Tacoma Police Department.

“I think some of the solutions we’re proposing are really around supporting the police,” Maritczak said. “One of those solutions is to fund the positions that are currently open in the police department. Plus, also accounting for natural attribution.”

The organization is also in favor of expanding Tacoma’s crisis response team, with TPD being more involved in responses.

“If they’re responding to someone in an obvious mental health crisis or a crisis related to drug addiction — in that situation, it is helpful if you can send out people who are trained in dealing with those particular situations. But, of course, backed up by people from TPD in a secondary role,” Wynne said, adding that she’d like to see more collaborations between TPD and city agencies.

Speaking on other solutions proposed by the TBC, Maritczak said, “We are proponents of high-frequency, repeat offenders task force where there are known repeat offenders of which law enforcement is aware of. We’re very supportive of efforts to target those offenders.”

Maritczak also supports community policing, which Chief Moore has advocated for since he joined TPD in mid-January.

“I am encouraged that he is interested in community policing. That is a very difficult thing to do, but very effective. And a lot of police chiefs won’t take that on,” she said.

TBC’s virtual town hall with Chief Moore will be on Monday, April 11, at 5:30 p.m. It will be livestreamed on the group’s YouTube channel.

©2022 Cox Media Group