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| Splash photo by Craig Howard |
Police Chief Brian Asmus has been with the Liberty Lake Police Department for 13 years. He was the city’s first law enforcement hire in December 2001.
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Cover Story: Staying ahead of the crime curve
11/25/2014 12:47:48 PM
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
There were rumblings at the Liberty Lake Police Department in the early part of 2006.
Across the mountains, in Pierce County, the Lakewood Police Department was interviewing Liberty Lake Police Chief Brian Asmus for the lieutenant's job. Asmus had been Liberty Lake's first law enforcement hire in December 2001 and was widely recognized as the foundation of the city's small but stellar force.
"He built this department," Council Member Judi Owens said when Asmus was considering the move west.
Calls, letters and emails poured in from residents when the news spread, imploring the city to do all it could to keep the well-liked chief. By April, the crisis had been averted. Asmus would stay and it would not require a pay increase to keep him in Liberty Lake.
"We depend on his leadership," said Mayor Steve Peterson after the scenario played out.
These days, Asmus leads a crew of nine officers who have made their jurisdiction one of the most crime-free communities in Washington. A survey released by Safewise.com earlier this year rated Liberty Lake as the eighth safest city in the state.
Now housed in a sprawling precinct on Mission Avenue that covers 18,000 square feet, LLPD is recognized as a leader and innovator in its field. Nearly every officer brings expertise in one area or more and serves as a state-certified instructor. From bike patrols to social media to the latest in law enforcement technology, the department emphasizes what Asmus describes as "a proactive, community-oriented approach to policing."
The early years
After Asmus was brought on to lead the department in late 2001 from the small town of Yelm, LLPD moved into its first home at the Liberty Lake Internet Portal. A transition to the Greenstone building on Meadowwood Lane followed, presenting some unique challenges for a force that initially included Asmus and Ray Bourgeois, another transfer from Yelm.
"We rented a space on the first floor with two offices," Asmus recalled. "City Hall was on the same floor. The space also included retail establishments. There was no evidence room, no holding area for suspects. We made do the best we could. We kept suspects in the patrol car, but we quickly outgrew that."
Later in 2002, Wade Hulsizer, Clint Gibson, Mike Thomas and Todd Jordan joined the force. The first patrol car was borrowed from the city of Spokane.
"I remember getting calls from residents at the time, people asking why there was a Spokane police car driving around in our community," Asmus said. "We didn't have any cars. They had ordered them, but they hadn't arrived. We didn't have decals, patches, radios. We were operating off cell phones and borrowed equipment."
Bourgeois remembers the Greenstone space in the same way some might look back on their first apartment.
"We had half-a-dozen guys working in a walk-through space," he said. "It was tough. Working out of the one office, all the patrol officers shared one vehicle. At first, we didn't have notebooks, paper, pens, anything. The initial year wasn't anything like I expected."
Even after the force acquired its first two official vehicles in spring 2002, there were issues.
"I remember only having two or three patrol cars to drive for the entire department," Officer Brad Deines recalled. "One officer would be getting off shift and another would be coming on and driving the same car. This means the cars ran 24 hours a day, which is very hard on them."
Despite the cramped quarters, fledgling fleet and lack of equipment, the city's decision to start its own police force was acknowledged as a prudent move among residents and city staff. Up to that point, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office had provided limited coverage to pre-incorporated Liberty Lake as part of a larger area that swept far beyond the section that would become the city.
"Taking on policing ourselves was a huge task," Mayor Peterson said. "I knew that the community would be better off having their own force, but the very first hire of a police chief would be critical in our success. We looked at several candidates and Chief Asmus was an exact fit for the person we needed."
The move to City Hall
In late 2002, Asmus and his burgeoning department moved along with the rest of their municipal colleagues to a site on Country Vista Drive just east of the Trailhead Golf Course. LLPD would occupy 1,500 square feet of the new City Hall.
While the headquarters allowed for more flexibility, there was still the matter of a community adjusting to a full-time police presence.
"Before, the proactive patrol was not consistent," Asmus said. "With something like traffic enforcement, we were just trying to get people to slow down and be safe. I look back on that now and it's interesting because we have people calling us every day telling us they have speeders in their neighborhood."
Bourgeois, who was promoted to detective six years ago, said he has noticed more citizen involvement in the fight against crime over the years.
"From the time we've first started until now, I've seen people more willing to report things they see that are out of the ordinary," he said. "They live in the area, they work in the area - they know what's going on in their neighborhoods. They're willing to take that extra step to make their community safer. People here are proactive about preventing crime."
Support of the city
Before he joined the Liberty Lake City Council, Odin Langford lived in Louisiana and served 25 years in law enforcement, rising to the rank of captain. He is now one of three members of the city's public safety committee.
Langford said the success and stability of the department starts at the top.
"Chief Asmus is not only in tune with his constituents but is responsible for setting the bar of performance and integrity of his officers who, without doubt, are doing a great job of holding themselves accountable," Langford said.
In promoting the Liberty Lake civic pillars of "safe, clean and green," Peterson described the safety of citizens as "the most important aspect of a healthy community."
"We spend all of our property tax receipts on our police force," Peterson said. "This focus translates into making our community safe for people to live, start businesses and raise families here."
The mayor's preliminary budget for 2015 includes funds for a new full-time police officer. Currently, LLPD slightly trails the state average of 1.5 officers per 1,000 residents. Overall, police protection has kept up with the growth of the city since incorporation in 2001. When LLPD originated, Liberty Lake's population hovered around 3,000. Annexation and an influx of new residents have increased that number to nearly 9,000 today.
Asmus said the department is well attuned to keeping up with the growth of the city.
"When you take into account the number of calls we respond to, our caseload, calls for service, types of crimes, we're OK," Asmus said
Langford said the city will continue to place law enforcement as a funding priority "as long as our community demands a higher level of service."
"Because of size, geography, population and leadership, both within and without the police department, the city of Liberty Lake is able and willing to provide the budget that allows our department to meet or exceed expectations when it comes to equipment and training," Langford said. "Good planning, great personnel, top training and equipment, along with a sustainable budget, is a deliberate, coordinated effort to provide success for Liberty Lake residents."
Asmus said public safety is a collective effort that includes the entire municipal team.
"As a city staff, we all work together to make this a safe place," he said. "We have our grounds crew, our parks crew, our city engineer. We've always had great support from the City Council and the mayor. It's really a citywide effort to make this the way it is."
The proactive priority
From the origins of LLPD, Asmus has made it a point to engage the community, from open houses called "Meet the Chief" that addressed topics like identity theft and property crime to a domestic violence symposium that was held for the fourth year in a row in 2014.
"It's about community policing that is fair and supportive," Peterson said. "The officers from the chief down are well respected and engaged with their community by living here, participating in community activities and being role models."
When it comes to the issue of the city's most glaring crime dilemma - property crime - Asmus said residents can do their part to stem the tide.
"It is really basic - make sure you have good lighting, make sure you're locking your doors," Asmus said. "Even if you're home, lock your residence and your car. Don't leave valuables in your car."
Asmus said the reputation of Liberty Lake as one of the safest cities in the region and state "can be a double-edged sword." He notes how some residents - cognizant of the community's low crime rate - can become complacent.
"The perception of our residents is that this is a very safe community, which it is," Asmus said. "Therefore, they don't feel the need to take those precautions because it's safe. We'll respond to theft calls or vehicle prowl calls and it's very common that we hear, ‘We didn't think we had to worry about that here or we didn't think we had to lock our doors in Liberty Lake.'"
Asmus is also working to clear up what he calls an inaccuracy regarding the seemingly high crime rates that have historically trended in apartment complexes across the city.
"We do a crime stat report that goes out every other week to the City Council and the media," he said.
"When you look at that, I think there's a misperception. There are several hundred units at each complex. They have different apartment numbers, but the same street address. Anytime you get dispatched there, that's the address you're going to see. When you consider that you have 400 to 500 people living at this address, it's not much different that any residential area you're responding to when you consider densities."
Residents are encouraged to call the on-duty officer phone (218-4899) for non-emergency incidents. The second set of eyes can be critical to disrupting crime, Asmus says.
"We can't do it ourselves," he said. "We're in that proactive stage where an officer will come out, have that contact, take evidence, look at fingerprints. It goes back to the entire community being accountable for what they want it to be."
Technology helps the cause
In addition to consistent funding support from City Hall, Asmus has actively pursued grants that have helped LLPD stay current with the latest technology, such as night vision and thermal imaging equipment. This year alone, the department has added cameras on each police uniform and a new digital radio system. An automated records system has meant increased efficiencies in the process of writing tickets and investigating traffic accidents.
"We now scan driver's licenses and registrations and the tickets are printed out right in the police car," Asmus said. "We have templates on the screen with pre-mapped intersections and can place the vehicles on the grid. An investigation and report that once took an hour now takes 15 minutes."
The innovations have meant officers spending more time on patrol than on paperwork, according to Deines.
"When I first started we didn't have computers in our patrol cars and if you needed to look something up you had to go back to the office," Deines said. "Now that we have computers, anything you need to look up is at your fingertips. We can respond faster to calls or anything we need to."
Asmus said the digital radio system acts more like a computer than a radio, ensuring direct communication with neighboring fire departments and police agencies.
"Instead of having calls patched through by dispatchers, they simply switch through to another channel and are in direct contact with another agency," he said.
Moving into the future
It doesn't appear Asmus is headed to Pierce County or anywhere else these days. He talks about remaining chief for at least another five years, maybe longer.
"I love the community and this atmosphere," he said. "The support comes from everywhere - the residents, the businesses, the City Council, the mayor, our other law enforcement partners, the school district. It's been great."
Unlike other smaller agencies, LLPD is not seen as a stepping stone, Asmus said. Many on the force have made this a long-term career home. Top-flight technology, equipment, training, benefits and competitive pay contribute to the retention level.
"Here, most everyone has years and years of law enforcement experience," Asmus said. "We talk about their future in Liberty Lake. People say they want to be here. Our goal is to keep the good people here."
Asmus has brought up the lessons he learned in Yelm to the decision-makers in Liberty Lake. His message: Don't let public safety become a secondary priority.
"Yelm was very similar to Liberty Lake in terms of size and geography," Asmus said. "It only took a few years, and we were a reactive agency instead of a proactive agency. The city didn't provide the resources we needed. That's where I started my career. I saw it happen. I don't want that to happen in Liberty Lake."
While Asmus has been deluged with accolades through the years, he is quick to deflect credit to his troop of dedicated officers.
"We've put together a team with a tremendous amount of skill and knowledge and experience," he said. "Each has their own niche. They all know what they're doing. If something happens on their shift and they didn't catch it and it gets reported the next day, they take it personally. They're genuinely upset. For me, that's probably the best part. I don't have to worry about them. The team is the key here."
• • •
Safety first
LLPD enlists education, enforcement
By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
When the Liberty Lake Police Department formed more than a dozen years ago, the precinct bookshelf featured a policies and procedures manual that didn't even pass for a brochure.
"We didn't really have anything like that when we first started," Chief Brian Asmus said. "Now that handbook is almost 500 pages."
As the framework for the department was built, Asmus and his officers discussed LLPD's central mission.
"We asked ourselves ‘What are our organization's core values?'" Asmus recalled. "Then we started looking at operational values and the No. 1 priority we came up with was the prevention of crime. If we can put our efforts toward preventing crime, it's going to make our job easier and our community safer."
Asmus said he looks at law enforcement from two angles - education and enforcement.
"We always try to put the education piece first when we can," he said.
While larger agencies like the Spokane Police Department feature separate divisions for areas like technology and community policing, LLPD takes a team approach with each officer pitching in. The result is an extensive list of programs ranging from a 10-class curriculum on the dangers of substance abuse taught at Liberty Lake Elementary to a radar reader board that residents can place in their neighborhoods to address concerns over speeding traffic.
Other LLPD programs include:
• Crime prevention seminars: In the tradition of the "Meet the Chief" series that Asmus hosted in the early years of the department, the seminars present the latest in crime abatement strategies to community groups.
• Vacation House Watch: Residents who are going to be gone on vacation can call or email LLPD with the dates and times they will be out of town. LLPD officers and SCOPE (Sheriffs Community Oriented Policing Effort) volunteers check the homes periodically.
• Operation I.D.: Residents can borrow an engraving device from LLPD and add identification numbers to possessions.
• Bike safety rodeos: Attendees go through an obstacle course and a take a written test. Police provide advice on how to be safe cyclists. They are usually held twice a year at the police department.
• Bike patrols: A quartet of officers is certified for bike patrol. Asmus has said it has improved communication with residents. Bike officers have even pedaled up on drug deals or fights. The patrols are also in place for special events throughout the year.
• Neighborhood Watch: Coordinated through SCOPE, this program relies on the volunteer leadership of block captains. The apartment complexes are now involved in Neighborhood Watch with Officer Taj Wilkerson as the liaison. Wilkerson spends time at each of the complexes and converses with the property managers about issues that need to be addressed.
• Portable surveillance equipment: LLPD provides this equipment to those who are concerned about theft and other issues at various locations in town, such as new construction sites.
• On-duty officer cell phone: Residents can call 218-4899 to report non-emergency issues. "We want to be able to address those issues where people are not calling 9-1-1," Asmus said.
• Electronic search warrants: This program has made stops for impaired driving more efficient, as a warrant is sent to a judge who can sign it electronically.
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