Chief Boyle Promotes Transparency in Yakima Police Efforts

Yakima Police have their hands full trying to keep Yakima safe and they're holding a series of forums to help the community understand the challenges Officers face every day.

IT'S ALL ABOUT TRANSPARENCY

The latest forum, called Your City, Your Safety was held at the Harman Center in Yakima Tuesday morning. Chief Shawn Boyle says it's all about transparency and he says more forums will be held in the future to continue to inform Yakima. About 30 people attended the forum at the Harman Center today where they learned 137 Officers make up the Yakima Police Department with 8 officers at any one time patrolling city streets.

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GROWING CRIME IN A GROWING CITY

Boyle says the aim is to better serve the community while trying to keep people safe in a city where in 2024 Officers responded to 104,512 calls for service, issued 15,590 traffic citations and processed 2,464 protection orders. Even though the city has grown the Department is now working with fewer Officers than it did in 2010 when 141 Officers were employed by the city. 145 were working for the Department in 2015 but Today the number is 137.

A GRAPHIC VIDEO

During the meeting the department played a video accompanied by music produced by a local gang member convicted of murder to demonstrate the type of violent crime that happens in the city on a daily basis. Along with regular patrol Officers there are also Community Service Officers working every day handling parking and proactive policing incidents and animal related calls.

YOU NEED TO ATTEND YAKIMA

Chief Boyle says he's hoping people will attend forums in the future to better understand the challenges Officers see on the job everyday. He's also hoping you'll have suggestions on how the department can improve the job they do in the community. The next forum is set for 6:00 pm Wednesday at the Washington Fruit Community Center at 602 North 4th Street. Boyle says they'll be holding more forums in the future and next year as well.