‘Paws on Patrol’: Community policing nonprofit teaches dog walkers to spot crimes

As of this month, a Spokane nonprofit with a goal of crime prevention has 100 volunteers trained to check for crimes and code violations on their dog walks.

The Paws on Patrol program, run by Spokane C.O.P.S., short for Community Oriented Policing Services, enlists volunteers who receive training to spot red flags. Volunteers can then report crimes quickly using the organization’s website.

“It’s empowering people to take back their neighborhoods and make their neighborhood safer in a positive way,” said Patrick Striker, executive director of the nonprofit. “Nobody is armed, no one is making arrests. It’s building community as a vessel for crime prevention.”

Striker said people being vigilant on foot can often notice crimes that police in vehicles can’t. He said car prowlers, for instance, will walk up a length of road trying car handles for an unlocked door but usually stop when they hear a car coming. A quieter person on foot might not alert them to stop, he said.

Dog walkers can also note “low-hanging fruits,” like code violations involving overgrown bushes and graffiti, he said. The benefit of looking for those violations is based on the broken windows theory, he said. The idea states that disorderly neighborhoods attract crime.

The broken windows approach in policing has garnered some criticism in recent years, Frontline reported, as critics say it can lead to over-policing of minority communities and can burden impoverished people with fines for minor offenses.

Outcomes of police taking the approach have also been unclear, Frontline reported, though some researchers say there is a lack of evidence that issuing more minor infractions reduces serious crimes.

Striker said he understands the criticism but doesn’t agree with it.

“Oftentimes in my opinion, (the critic) is somebody who got reported. Maybe they were the house that had the graffiti and the broken-down cars, and now they’re angry or they feel sort of picked on,” he said. “If you’re thinking of it from the standpoint of a community, if my neighbor’s house is attracting crime, now that’s affecting me.”

The goal, he said, should be to try to help neighbors address code violations before using reports as a last resort.

“Go talk to your neighbor: ‘Hey, do you need a hand? I’ll help you paint over this graffiti. I’ll mow your lawn,’ ” he said. “You can get involved in your community instead of making people feel like they’re the problem.”

Striker believes being friendly with neighbors makes it easier to notice when things are off. If people know their neighbors are away on a trip and see a car in the driveway, they can text their neighbors to make sure all is well before becoming anxious, he said.

C.O.P.S. recommends throwing block parties and talking about crime prevention there, Striker said.

“Get your neighbors talking and start getting them to know each other,” he said.