Seattle Police North Precinct Dedicated Crime Prevention Coordinator To Lose Job In March

Many of us know or have heard of Diane Horswill, the Seattle Police Department North Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator.

Diane has been integral over many years in helping to set up Block Watch Captains, getting ideas out about preventing crime, discussing ongoing crime problems and serving as a resource in helping to come up with resolutions, such as the ongoing problems in the park a few years ago when the Community Center was being remodeled and expanded.

She also helps with setting up the yearly August Night Out Program for neighborhoods and has attended several Laurelhurst Community Club meetings over the years.

She has been and continues to be a  valuable asset to our neighborhood, as well as other North Seattle neighborhoods.

All that is about to end in March of next year when she and the 5 other crime prevention coordinators from each of the Seattle Police Precincts will lose their jobs when grant money runs out. Each police precinct has a dedicated crime prevention coordinator which has been part of the police budget until last October, when the positions switched to being paid with by federal grant money.

Unless funding is found, all crime prevention positions will be eliminated in March 2011.

Cary Lassen, Laurelhurst Community Club Crime Prevention Representative told us:

"Diane is a vital connection between Seattle Police and the neighborhoods. She deals with the little things that concern people, directing us to resources or providing advice.

She has over a decade of experience tracking neighborhood crimes - an invaluable knowledge for detecting crime trends.

I encourage everyone to write to City Council and the Police Chief to say we cannot lose our crime prevention coordinators. LCC will write a letter, but it does make a difference to hear directly from individual citizens."
 
You can can email or write City Council and the new Seattle Police Department Chief expressing your concerns regarding the elmination of Diane Horswill's position as well as those of the other crime prevention coordinators from the Seattle Police Department Staff.