Law enforcement efforts covered at study session

At Tuesday’s study session, Spokane Valley Police Chief Cal Walker gave the City Council an overview of law enforcement efforts on several fronts in the city and took questions from the council on the soon-to-be-revised rules governing school-zone speed limits.

Among the items in his report that provoked council discussion, Walker said there are about 50 active gangs in the area.

“That is commingled with so many other crimes and the drug activity that is here,” Walker said.

Five teams in his and other departments address issues surrounding gangs and the narcotics trade that funds them, Walker said.

The number of reported sex crimes has remained steady, Walker said, although officers devoted to investigating them have had a higher workload because of changes in state law affecting sex-offender registration.

Among the police who investigate the more familiar crimes, there are also officers devoted to gathering intelligence on potential threats from domestic and international terrorism.

“They are very covert,” Walker said.

They also sort through crime data looking for trends and connections, and they communicate with other police departments in the region regarding crimes that cross state and county lines, he said.

On the other extreme of visibility in the community, Walker also gave an overview of traffic enforcement in the city.

Five traffic officers and one supervisor take care of drunken driving cases and car crashes as well as patrolling for speeding and other moving violations.

“We don’t have the resources to deploy at every intersection across the city,” Walker said.

Councilman Rich Munson said he has taken calls recently from people who felt they were unfairly pulled over in school zones, and he asked Walker to clarify how police interpret the signs that say the school speed limit is in effect when children are present.

“I think that’s an item in the community that is causing unnecessary friction,” Munson said.

Police concentrate school-zone enforcement on the morning commute and other times when children are coming and going from the building, Walker said. The law still creates confusion, he said, citing one case in which a driver challenged the ticket because the officer did not ask the young person present if he or she was over 18.

Further discussion on school zones will take place at the Oct. 17 council meeting when the council will hear a proposal crafted by Walker and others at the city to clarify the speed-zone rules.