Can the Spokane Police Department improve its image with billboard ads?

I passed one today while traveling west on Trent. Two officers are pictured along with the following statement: "It's Our Community. We Stand Ready to Protect and Serve." How I hope that statement is true.

Personally, I believe that the majority of the men and women who are employed as police officers for the City of Spokane are sincerely holding that as their mission statement.

This all started with the City asking for budget cuts across most city departments, including the Spokane Police Department. The Spokane Police Guild purchased 12 billboards across the city, the one I saw being in the County along Trent Avenue. There are two phrases - the one I noted above - and a second sign reading "Property Crime Is Up. Police Investigations Down."

I do NOT want to open a can of worms here. I'm not asking for readers to bash police or bring up Otto Zehm or other incidents that we've been beating into the ground. But I do want to talk about what the first billboard states and that is, "It's our Community. We Stand Ready to Protect and Serve."

That statement is what I strongly believe in. This is our community. Our community embraces humanity, culture, religion, independence, growth, compassion, love, life. We expect to enjoy all of this with the protection and servitude of all the employees of the Spokane Police Department.

It is my confident hope that the good in the people behind a badge will bring the ideals and dreams of that statement to a positive realization for our community.

 ~Jeanie~

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