TACOMA, Wash. — The Tacoma Police Department is now dispatching unarmed officers to some lower priority calls. It's all a part of the department's new Community Service Officer program.
Since the program launched two months ago, the CSO’s have responded to 205 total calls. For 185 of those calls, the CSO’s were the primary responder, and for the other 20 calls, they assisted police officers.
The goal of this new program is to not only free up police officers, but also provide citizens with quicker a department response for lower priority calls.
“Unfortunately, when your cars are broken into, we go on those calls. If your car is stolen, we go on those calls,” said CC Chambers, one of TPD’s Community Service Officers. “We can go on old burglary calls of your home. We go on vandalism calls, and we go on calls of fraud.”
Chambers is one of the three CSO’s already deployed in the community.
“I did years in Los Angeles for the Sheriff's Department, and I retired,” said Chambers. “But I don't want to retire yet, so I wanted to do something less strenuous. So, this was perfect for me.”
Community Service Officers respond to calls that are lower priority Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Right now, there are three CSO's, but the department has funding for ten. Chambers said two more CSO’s are currently pending to be activated in the community.
When more officers are added on, the department plans to expand the days and hours they are serving the community.
“We do represent the police department, it is a serious job and we take it seriously,” said Chambers.
The Tacoma Police Department is budgeted for 365 police officers but has 23 vacant positions as of Aug. 14.
TPD Public Information Officer Shelbie Boyd said the CSO program helps reduce the wait time for lower priority calls where a gun isn't needed.
“There's these calls that you don't necessarily need an armed police officer to respond to,” said Boyd. “So, it really helps, instead of that call pending for 10 hours for someone to get to, because officers are going to the high priority calls, it gives you that more immediate service.”