After citizen meeting, more safety resources come to North Bend

Published 4:37 pm Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Following a public safety meeting with citizens, the city of North Bend has begun promoting several safety resources, available to citizens from the city’s website, on the Police Services page.

Among them is Crime Reports (www.crimereports.com), a Web page that lists reported crimes near an address entered by the user. The site lists the number and types of criminal activity, along with Level 2 or 3 sex offenders. No sign-in is necessary to get this information, but users can create accounts to set up e-mail alerts for their neighborhoods.

The Crime Prevention Tips and Resources page of the Sheriff’s website provides timely crime prevention tips on auto theft, child safety, fraud, home security, personal safety, senior safety, and sexual assault. Find the information at www.kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/Safety.aspx.

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Mayor Ken Hearing commented that the city has an opportunity now to encourage citizens to develop community watches, too. The King County Sheriff’s Office provides a document on creating and operating these programs, with additional resources. The Community Crime Prevention Neighborhood Block Watch Handbook is available at http://wa-northbend.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/5366. Anyone interested in setting up a block watch program can get more information from North Bend Police Chief Mark Toner, (425) 888-4438.

As always, though, citizens are urged to call 911 first, to report a crime or if they witness any suspicious behavior. Calling 911 is the fastest way to reach police and get a response. To report minor crimes that occurred in the past, citizens can use the online reporting tool on the Sheriff’s website, http://kingcounty.gov/safety/sheriff/ReportToSheriff.aspx. To report concerns, call the North Bend Substation, or e-mail Chief Toner, Mark.Toner@KingCounty.Gov.

The city will provide additional safety information in an upcoming newsletter.