Tacoma's police chief Patti Jackson is hoping to find new community voices to shape the future of the department.
Tacoma's police chief Patti Jackson is hoping to find new community voices to shape the future of the department.
Jackson has led a turnaround of the agency in the last 18 months since being appointed, reaching nearly full staff at a time when most police departments in Washington are struggling to recruit officers.
“I’ve earned the trust of the men and women who work here, and I’m never going to take my foot off the gas with that," Jackson told KOMO News on Friday.
Jackson is launching a new initiative known as the Tacoma Public Safety Partnership (TPSP) to allow people in the community to learn about how the department operates and provide input on training, operations, and accountability.
“Since becoming Chief of Police, I’ve focused on building better relationships between our agency and the community we serve,” Chief Patti Jackson said. “The TPSP is a chance for community members from various groups – nonprofits, faith communities, youth organizations – to get to know the Tacoma Police Department before they need us in an emergency.”
The initiative will have a pilot program lasting 18 months and be comprised of applicants from the community.
Community partners will bring their own questions, experiences, concerns, and perspectives to the table," Jackson said. "TPD has a responsibility not only to explain our work, but also to listen and consider what we can learn. I hope that participants carry what they learn beyond the meeting room—not as spokespeople for TPD or people expected to agree with every decision, but as informed community voices who can help others better understand what their police department does, how decisions are made, and how we serve Tacoma.
