SPOKANE, Wash. — The Core Pilot Program is designed to help the downtown community feel safer.
Pia Hallenberg, a local resident, believes the initiative is a positive step forward.
“We are super excited about this plan because we feel like we are being seen for the first time in a long time,” said Hallenberg. “Many of us live downtown and work downtown, and the lack of attention to policing in the downtown core has really been a big issue for us.”
Hallenberg identifies several pressing issues in the area. Large amounts of human waste and mental health crises are big problems as well, said Hallenberg.
The Downtown Spokane Partnership has echoed these concerns, stating that public safety and cleanliness are critical issues affecting downtown.
“They are having some kind of meltdown on the street corner, and I think that is actually inhumane—to let people bang their heads against the wall or whatever—so there has to be a way to deal with that,” said Hallenburg.
Through the Core Program, the city will deploy behavioral health personnel and the CARES team to address specific needs.
This program is a step in the right direction to fix the problems downtown, said Hallenberg.
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