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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Conference will offer crime prevention tips

From Staff Reports The Spokesman-Review

SPOKANE VALLEY – The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is offering a conference Wednesday in Spokane Valley for people who want to learn about crime prevention.

For $12, participants in the Neighborhood Watch Crime Prevention Conference at the CenterPlace community center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, may attend classes on everything from sex crimes to boating safety. The fee includes a continental breakfast and a pasta lunch.

There also will be classes on Internet stalking, gangs, crime scene investigation, personal safety, home safety, illegal drugs, public speaking and a class on how to defuse confrontations verbally.

The public speaking and “verbal de-escalation” classes are new in this third annual event.

Neighborhood Watch Director Diana Somerville said business people are especially encouraged to attend the de-escalation class, which she said could come in handy with upset customers as well as co-workers or family members.

Participants in that class will receive a certificate entitling them to train others.

Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m., followed by breakfast at 8 and classes at 9. Three classes will be presented simultaneously until 5:30 p.m.

After a no-host dinner break, the sex-offender and Internet stalking classes will be repeated from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. People may attend the evening classes free without participating in the rest of the conference.

For more information and a form to register and choose classes, visit the Neighborhood Watch page of the Spokane County sheriff’s Web site at http://spokanesheriff.org/community/neighborhood, or call 477-3055.