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1998 Top Ten Accomplishments
Washington Access to Criminal History
(WATCH)
During 1997, non-profit organizations, businesses, and the public made over 287,000 requests for criminal history information to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Identification and Criminal History Section. The WSP did not have the resources necessary to respond in a timely manner to the inquiries. As a result, organizations had to wait over five months at times for a response.
The WSP implemented a program to make the conviction criminal history information available online over the Internet. The information is now available without delay. Over 1,300 non-profit organizations are currently using the system. The non-profit organizations accounted for most of the over 150,000 inquiries into the system so far this year.
Light Industrial Property Trade
The WSP has successfully completed the negotiations for a property exchange involving the agency's current 20-acre light industrial complex at 4242 Martin Way for a 20-acre parcel in the Tumwater area. The transaction involves a no-fee exchange of WSP property and facilities valued at $4.3 million for replacement of new facilities and a 20-acre land parcel valued at $10.1 million at no cost to the citizens.
Strategic Planning
The WSP's Strategic Planning Committee completed work on the agency's 1998-2003 Strategic Plan. This was a six-month "open" process that included internal and external stakeholders. In June 1998, the document was printed and distributed throughout the agency. The Strategic Plan and the process used to identify strategic initiatives helped with the 1999-2001 budget process.
Problem Oriented Public Safety
The WSP has made significant progress toward totally integrating the agency in the Problem Oriented Public Safety (POPS) philosophy. Fifty-four troopers have received advanced problem solving training. These 54 troopers will begin practicing problem-solving throughout the state. They will be teaching and involving their peers in the process to help advance us toward total integration. Many of our internal systems (promotion, evaluation, training, etc.) are being reengineered to further facilitate our organizational transformation effort.
Investigative Assistance Division
Methamphetamine continues to grow in popularity as the drug of choice. As a result, the number of clandestine labs encountered by police is growing exponentially. Thus far during calendar year 1998, the Statewide Incident Response Team (SIRT) has handled 198 calls for service and processed 120 clandestine labs. This is approximately a 26 percent increase over 1997 statistics. SIRT members are also involved in community outreach activities in an attempt to bring focus on the issue. In 1998, they conducted 19 training sessions throughout the state, providing lab recognition instruction to 921 emergency response personnel, 60 prosecuting attorneys, 7 chemists, and over 300 civilians.
Crime Laboratory Division
The newest and most powerful DNA analysis technique, the Short Tandem Repeat (STR), was introduced in 1998. The databank validation was completed and the STR technique went online for databank samples in August 1998, and is scheduled to begin for criminal casework in April 1999.
Aggressive Driver Apprehension Team
The WSP Aggressive Driver Apprehension Team became operational June 1, 1998, and consisted of two line troopers, two motorcycle troopers, and a motorcycle sergeant. Target areas are the interstate systems in King and Pierce counties. Since its inception through October 1998, the Team has made 1,621 arrests for violations, which were attributed to aggressive driving behavior.
Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Training Prop
The Aircraft Rescue Firefighter Training Prop was a seven-year, $7.4 million dollar cooperative effort of public and private partners. The prop was dedicated on November 21, 1998, and was utilized to train Port of Seattle Airport firefighters the following week. This prop will become a regional training site for all airport fire departments in the Northwest.
Canine Program
In the fall of 1997, the WSP deployed two active Explosive Detection Canine teams to support the Washington State Ferries and their bomb threat assessment. In the fall of 1998, the WSP, after nearly a year of successful operation, expanded the program into narcotic interdiction in conjunction with the Northwest High Intensity Drug Traffic Area (HIDTA) program. Four narcotic canine teams were deployed the second week of November 1998 and are located in Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Yakima counties. The two explosive canine teams are located in Marysville and Bremerton and are assigned to Vessel and Terminal Security (VATS) detachments.
Drug Evaluation and Classification Program
The agency has also made significant strides in expanding the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC) Program. Seventy-eight state, county, and city officers (48 of those being state troopers) statewide have been certified as Drug Recognition Experts (DREs) to assist other officers throughout the state in detecting Drug Impaired Drivers (DUIs).
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