Spotlight Will Shine On Starr For Efforts EV Scope Volunteer Will Receive State Crime Prevention Award

When Clyde Starr sets his mind to something, it gets done - and someone else usually gets the credit.

“I try to stay in the background because there are a lot of other people who need recognition,” said Starr, a member of the East Valley SCOPE group.

But Starr won’t be able to avoid the spotlight on Friday when he accepts a state award for his contributions to community policing.

The 81-year-old Otis Orchards resident has been named Washington State Crime Prevention Volunteer of the Year for his work with Block Watch and SCOPE, the Sheriff’s Community Oriented Policing Effort.

He’ll receive the award at the association’s spring conference in Leavenworth, Wash.

In the six years SCOPE has existed, the retired construction supervisor has volunteered more than 6,000 hours to the cause.

Starr answers phones at the SCOPE office several hours every week and has taken each of the dozen training course offered by the Sheriff’s Office.

He’s helped bring the Newman Lake and Liberty Lake SCOPE groups into existence.

In 1995, he oversaw the $30,000 remodel to the SCOPE University office.

“He stepped right in not knowing any of us from the University area and helped us get the whole thing (building) together,” said Tom Knudsen, former University SCOPE president.

Starr’s dedication comes from the belief that criminals don’t liked to be watched. The more they know people are watching, the less likely they are to stay in an area, he said.

“My vision would be to have a Block Watch on every block and a SCOPE station in every community,” he said.

SCOPE East president Claude Duty said he’s never met anyone as dedicated to SCOPE as Starr.

“It’s an award that’s a long time in coming. He’s been involved with SCOPE from its inception. The man puts in hours and hours of work.”