Build The Bedrock At NPAC

by Kirby Lindsay, posted 28 April 2014

According to Pete Hanning, co-owner of the Red Door and Board Member of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, “the bedrock of a civil society is safety.” Hanning has shown exceptional dedication, as a citizen volunteer, to maintaining that bedrock, and after many years as a representative to the North Precinct Advisory Council (NPAC), he’s agreed this year to serve as its vice-president.

Hanning also serves on the Seattle Nightlife Association and, being a Fremont resident, he also gave time to the safety committee of the Fremont Neighborhood Council (FNC). He’s proven he’s serious about making Fremont safe – for his customers, employees, and family. “The main thing is,” Hanning recently observed, “if you want a safe community, you can’t just rely on police and fire. You have to get engaged and involved.”

The What Of NPAC

As vice-president, Hanning is proud of the work of NPAC, which provides a place for ordinary citizens to bring concerns, questions, praise and criticisms of police policy and actions. “It doesn’t have any role or say in the police activities,” Hanning explained, but he also said, “the officials who are there are usually pretty high up.”

NPAC representatives don’t get many chances to consult with the ‘beat’ cops, but they can give specific information, on behalf of their organizations/neighborhoods, on crime activities, trends, problems and/or solutions. They report these directly to members of the Seattle Police Department (SPD,) and are given current information on trends, policy and new, safety steps and procedures, collected by SPD, and often the Advisory Councils hear these details first, so they can help spread the information throughout their organizations.

“The advisory council is run by the citizens,” Hanning observed. Each Seattle precinct has an Advisory Council but, “the makeup of each, and the by-laws, is different,” he explained. Similar to the District Councils, which advise the city about citizen concerns, each Precinct Council has developed a personality distinct and individual to its area, and to the people who volunteer for these councils.

The Who Of NPAC

“Our role is not to ruffle feathers,” Hanning said, “We want to be a place where divergent views can be aired.” In this year, Hanning hopes to see NPAC expand the organizations that send representatives. “We are really trying to actively recruit from other groups,” he explained. The NPAC Executive Committee has chosen to invite a broader community of representatives. Traditionally, NPAC had representatives from neighborhood and business organizations, and, according to Hanning, “for a long time, it became an old men’s network.”

Now, they want to encourage representatives from area churches, synagogues, the mosque, schools, and social service organizations. “We’re really trying to actively recruit from other groups,” Hanning said. (Please note, the Fremont Neighborhood Council does not currently have a volunteer to represent them at NPAC.)

In addition to reports from citizens, and SPD staff, NPAC monthly meetings also can have a featured guest speaker. Previously, they’ve had the Seattle Fire Department Chief, the City Attorney, and the Mayor. “We’ve had someone who runs the domestic violence team. Right now, we want someone from the Department of Justice oversight board,” Hanning said. They invite members of different SPD departments – K9, Bomb Squad, etc. – who come in and explain what they do.

“When you say ‘precinct’ it is primarily police,” Hanning observed, but they’ve also invited the local Liquor Control Board Officer, King County Prosecutor’s Office, and the civilian run Crime Prevention/Block Watch Office. Hanning did point out that they deliberately don’t invite many elected officials. “We avoid using it as a rotating platform for politicians,” he explained.

The Why Of NPAC

As for SPD, “I am on my fourth captain,” explained Hanning about his tenure at NPAC – and how he’s seen the changes in leadership at the North Precinct, and what it means. “Each one has very different policies, different goals,” he observed.

Yet, Hanning pointed out about SPD, “we have fewer cops per 1000,” people in Seattle, “than most municipalities, and yet we are safer than most. I’m always impressed at how ”

“In general,” Hanning observed, “the only way we interact with police and fire is during a public safety crisis. The cops don’t get called when a birthday party is going on – only when something bad is happening.” At an NPAC meeting, citizens can hear from the precinct captain, or other staff, to talk about solutions before crises occur, or, as Hanning stated, “when things aren’t at crisis level 9!”

The Now Of NPAC

The NPAC meets on the first Wednesday of each month, at 7p, at North Seattle Community College. “The general public can attend,” Hanning said of the open meetings, “but they won’t be able to vote.” Occasionally the NPAC does take a position or sends an official letter. Also, this isn’t a forum for people to stand up and rant – or rave – about their personal experiences with SPD.

Hanning continues to attend, and speak on Fremont’s (and his own) behalf, and as he observed, “I think that they listen. It’s nice for cops to be able to say, ‘we’re working it,’ and for us to say, ‘we need this.’”

Consider joining the discussion at the next NPAC meeting, on May 7^th. And encourage your organization, church, and/or school to send a representative, to further build the bedrock of safety, for Fremont and Seattle!

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