SPD evaluates strategic plan

SANDPOINT — Over the past year, the police department’s strategic plan has undergone some tweaking since its introduction in the fall of 2010.

Police Chief Mark Lockwood visited the Administrative Committee meeting last Thursday to go over some of the changes the document has undergone since its debut. Officers have streamlined it to make goals a bit clearer and more concise. In addition, the plan has a new review section that evaluates the success of the plan over a year of implementation. According to Lockwood, the department has made good progress on some of its objectives.

“I’m really amazed at some of the goals we were able to accomplish even without funding,” Lockwood said.

For example, the strategic plan identified community outreach and youth interaction as two big items to improve on. Lockwood said the department made big strides in those areas.

One improvement is a new website complete with interactive maps and online crime reporting. The new site is a big improvement in both form and function over the old iteration, offering a slick design and improved connectivity.

Lockwood identified the department’s Sandpoint High School criminology class as a particularly big public outreach success. In its first year as a regular semester offering, the course became one of the school’s most popular electives. Lockwood said he often received comments from parents at how enthusiastic their sons or daughters were over the class.

The drug take-back program was another big success for the department, Lockwood said. As a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of excess pharmaceuticals, the initiative required $1,000 in funding from the police department. However, since its debut, officers have collected 200 pounds of prescription drugs.

Other notable changes included a reduction in the number of DUI stops, which Lockwood attributed to both better community awareness and the town’s history of enforcement. In fact, traffic stops were down dramatically in general. According to Lockwood, there were simply fewer people on the road due to the increased expense of driving.

While Councilwoman Carrie Logan was impressed with the progress, she also advised the department not to declare victory too quickly when it comes to public outreach. However, Lockwood said their efforts would adapt as they received feedback.

“The way I see it is that we’ve put these things into place, and they will continue to evolve,” Lockwood said. “They’re living programs.”