Deborah Wittwer Reinstated As Cops Volunteer

Surrounded by a blue phalanx of armed officers, Spokane Police Chief Terry Mangan came to make peace with the Nevada-Lidgerwood neighborhood.

He enthusiastically reinstated Deborah Wittwer, the energetic COPS volunteer whose suspension two months ago started a squabble between neighborhood leaders and the police department.

“These kinds of growing pains neighborhoods go through probably are healthy growing pains because we learn lessons,” said Mangan, speaking to more than 60 people gathered in an empty storefront last week at NorthTown Mall.

Mangan promised more city money for the neighborhood substations.

But the police chief also fired a verbal shot at neighborhood leaders who claimed Mangan’s department trampled their rights of self-governance. He threatened to take the neighborhood governing council to court if it crossed the police.

The meeting was monitored by a half-dozen other Spokane neighborhoods, who saw the conflict between police and the Nevada-Lidgerwood councils as a precedent.

Mangan’s strong message concerned several neighborhood leaders, who question the police department’s commitment to any measure of neighborhood control over the award-winning Community Oriented Policing Service. COPS substations are manned by volunteers.

“We have some real concerns. I think this is a case of drawing a line in the sand,” said Jay Cousins, a member of Emerson-Garfield’s neighborhood council.

“These are community problems, and we need solutions that involve the community … not top-down solutions.”

“The police department has a lot to learn about what it takes to keep people in the neighborhoods enthusiastic, involved, owned in,” said Bill Dillon, director of the Northeast Community Center.

“Thank God we are not in their situation,” said Janet Davis, president of the Cannon’s Addition neighborhood council.

“The steering committee is supposed to have some say in the neighborhood. If we’re being told the cops are having more control, there is a conflict.”

Several neighborhood leaders have questioned the value of spending Community Development money on future COPS programs.

In October, Wittwer was suddenly suspended after running the NevaWood COPS station out of her home for two years. Police accused her of mismanaging crucial paperwork, money and “making statements … that cast doubt on community policing and continually cause controversy.”

An “exhaustive review” found no validity to the accusations, although Mangan said Wittwer may have been disciplined if she were a police department staffer.

Mangan also said his deputies misinterpreted a confidentiality policy as a gag order.

“I’m really happy to be exonerated. I am happy to work with the neighborhood programs,” said Wittwer.

She is now charged with keeping construction of the neighborhood’s COPS station on schedule. The 5,200-foot building at Addison and Wellseley is set to open this winter.

The building is owned by the city real estate department, but its management is still in doubt, casting a shadow over Mangan’s peacemaking. Mangan claims the police department should have control of the building, and threatened legal action if the neighborhood tried to take control.

Nevada-Lidgerwood leaders, who used federal Community Development money to buy and remodel two adjoining houses, say management should rest with the neighborhood council.

Community Development director Mike Adolfae said the city owns the building, and the neighborhood gave control to the police by signing an agreement. But the neighborhood can petition to break the agreement, he said.

Nevada-Lidgerwood leader Al French said the neighborhood would try to change the management agreement.

The police department and the Nevada-Lidgerwood council are in mediation with a city-paid professional.

Lingering conflicts over building ownership will likely be resolved there.

In the meantime, neighborhood leaders wait. “The last word on this hasn’t been written,” said Dillon.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo