Behind-the-scenes groups deserve a show of gratitude

Who is it that waters our downtown trees, keeps the Interstate 90 exit ramps clean, provides those wonderful security ambassadors and the clean team, and plants the downtown flowers?

The city of Spokane? Not directly. No, it is the Downtown Spokane Partnership that does all that, thanks to the support of downtown businesses. And who gets the graffiti removed so quickly from common areas? Yes, again it is the DSP.

I was recently copied on an e-mail sent to the DSP from a shopper who had been walking down a busy street when her big bag broke:

Tom, a member of your downtown crew, was so helpful to me today. I had a big Macy’s bag which broke as I was crossing Sprague near the Davenport. Clothes and other stuff came falling out. Tom offered me a plastic sack to get all this stuff home. I am very appreciative of his offer, since how was I going to walk with all that? I asked for his name so he could get the credit for being a nice guy. Another pedestrian helped me gather up my stuff. Spokane is a friendly place, right?

I was really glad to see this e-mail because the DSP is one of those organizations that seldom gets the recognition it deserves for all the services it quietly provides. As a resident of downtown and a business owner there, I am constantly amazed at how many people think these services are paid for with our tax dollars.

There are still people who feel the same way about the BBB: That we must take up their consumer cause because we “are supported by tax dollars.” The BBB is an independent, nonprofit agency which, like the DSP, is supported by businesses. Our supporters care about a fair and ethical marketplace.

Crime Stoppers of the Inland Northwest is another great nongovernmental service organization. You may recall the Spokane Secret Witness phone number from years ago, where you could call and leave a tip anonymously and receive a reward if that tip lead to the solution of a crime or the arrest of a wanted person. Several years ago Kootenai County also started a Secret Witness program.

Most people think Crime Stoppers, like the DSP and the BBB, is operated by law enforcement or some other branch of the government. While the assistance and expertise law enforcement offers is invaluable, the ones who made Crime Stoppers into such an effective public safety tool are a group of ordinary citizens.

When the decision was made to absorb Secret Witness into the internationally known Crime Stoppers, something happened that nobody saw coming. The technology of the Web site (www.crimestoppers inlandnorthwest.org) allowed tipsters to send e-mail, mug shots to be posted and removed quickly, and specific crimes or wanted persons to be highlighted all over the world. Other advantages:

•Tips come in from far and wide, including one from England.

•Law enforcement from Yakima to Missoula now can use the photos, descriptions and other online information to fight crime in their cities.

•Local law enforcement folks can constantly access an up-to-date online file.

•The second annual “Stuff a burglar, get a turkey” campaign will bring in all sorts of wanted felons.

An unanticipated bonus was the increase in arrests from the crime-fighting tool. Two years into this program, all involved wonder how they ever did without such a great asset. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office and the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene police departments were important partners that made this happen, but everyone who lives in those areas owes special thanks for that quiet group that embraced the technology and regional approach to make this possible.

So you never know who is behind a whole lot of good things that go on every day in our cities. Ask sometime, and be sure to thank the right person or group.