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OMAK LAW ENFORCEMENT PHOTOS

Mission and Purpose: The Omak Police Department was established by the City of Omak to enforce laws and maintain a partnership with the citizens of Omak. The citizens of Omak have developed a supportive attitude that helps the police and City of Omak maintain a safe and caring community. The police are required to provide equal service to the community regardless of age, gender, race, religion, socio-economic background, sexual orientation or political affiliation.

The police are academy-trained for five months; return to active patrol with a field-training officer have on-the-job probation for one year and continue training whether it is self-defense, weapon qualification, domestic violence; gang trends; local school activities; or any training that will enable them to be more knowledgeable in their law enforcement career. The police are trained to be diligent and thorough in investigations, courteous, respectful, tolerant, and unbiased Police officers at all times provide professional service and are accountable to the citizens of Omak. Police officers often make first impressions to visitors and citizens and it is the police department that emulates the positive benefits of living, working, shopping or visiting the City of Omak.

Administration

The police chief is the department administrator and supervises the department employees; maintains the patrol vehicles; is responsible for the department weapons; maintains the police department structure and its records, evidence and property rooms; and networks the department computer system. The chief and the sergeants are responsible for the overall operation of the department and oversee the budget and implementation of city policies and department policies. The chief coordinates the affairs of the administrative staff as well as supervises the code enforcement officer.
The police department has a police chief, who is appointed by the mayor, ten commissioned police officers, one code enforcement officer, and two office staff.

              Police Chief
        Larry Schreckengast

Patrol

The patrol unit is made up of eight patrol officers and two patrol officers and two patrol sergeants who provide coverage 24 hours a day and 7 days a week including all holidays. Looking at the current city population of 4705, there are 2.1 officers per thousand. If a conservative estimate of 7,000 for the daily population is used, there are 1.4 officers per thousand. The daily activity of the department is partially reflected in calls for service, incident load and arrest statistics generated by the officers. The patrol unit is responsible for responding to all applicable complaints as well as enforcement of city ordinances. Patrol officers also have additional specialized training and/or certification with specific duties assigned such as: Evidence/Property, Field Training Officer, Firearms Officer, Drug Investigations, Bike patrol, Defensive Tactics, Emergency Vehicle Operation, Methamphetamine Lab Decontamination, Traffic Accident Investigation, X26 Tasers and others as needed.

Police Office Staff

The office staff consists of one secretary and one records clerk. The secretary is the primary greeter of the public; answers business phones for the department; provides information and assistance to the public. The secretary performs computer inquiries and enters law enforcement information on office computers and the State Access computer (case report data, calls for service, wanted persons, vehicles, Criminal History information, etc.). She types correspondence and other reports as necessary and is responsible for operations and preventative maintenance of equipment such as radios, multiple phone systems, copiers, typewriters, computers, as required by the position. She takes fingerprints of persons for the purpose of licensing or for general public safety and security, and assists the chief in budget preparation.

The records clerk enters and reports UCR monthly statistics and other statistical reports as required and assists in answering business phones for department; provide information and assistance to the public. Performs typing or stenography with responsibility for accuracy and basic grammar, punctuation and spelling and keeps logs, indexes and uses Dictaphone and or other recording devices for transcription of recorded reports and/or statements as required. The records clerk has the additional responsibility of custodian of evidence, which includes maintaining the chain of custody on all items taken as evidence, the safekeeping of the evidence and the preparation of evidence for lab analysis. Both the secretary and the records clerk work Monday through Friday, during normal business hours and the office is closed during recognized holidays.

Police Daily Activity

Type	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006
	Actual	Acutal	Actual	Actual	Actual
Incidents	846	985	952	1055	958
Citations	604	1106	1094	1139	1198
Parking	90	86	49	48	42
Tickets
Total Calls	4722	5712	5791	5603	5936
for Service

Police Reserve Program

The last reserve academy in Okanogan County was offered in 2002. The Police Department has been supportive of the Police Reserve Program for the past 20 years. Reserve officers are citizen volunteers who have completed over 220 hours of training and are certified with the Washington State Reserve Academy. Their role in the past has been to assist the Police Department ad support various activities such as, special functions and parade duties, assisting at the crime scenes, traffic enforcement and community relations. At present, the Police Department has one Reserve Officer, no applicants and no knowledge of any Reserve Academy that is being offered for 2007. The local citizens are not showing an interest in the Reserve Program probably because of the commitment and time it takes away from family, spare time, hobbies and other interest. After all anyone who becomes a reserve most certainly is employed at a 40-hour-a-week job and has other responsibilities other than volunteering at a high-profile job and receives no pay. For police departments it's becoming a question of insurance and liability.

Citizen & Stampede Patrol

Citizen Patrol is a success story and is probably more valuable to the citizens of Omak than the Police Reserve Program. Citizen Patrol is invaluable and relied upon for help and information. It consists of citizens who are trustworthy and have genuine concern for the safety and welfare of the City of Omak. Each individual is dedicated and supportive to the City of Omak. What started as Citizen Patrol in 1993 has expanded into Citizen & Stampede Patrol.

This program continued to give citizens an opportunity to help make the City of Omak a safer place to live and work. Citizen and Stampede Patrol are actually unpaid volunteers from Omak who are interested in promoting and assisting the Police Department with various functions that include: financial support for the parade of flags during Stampede, manning the police command post at the visitors information center during Stampede; private donations for community orientated programs; school events; and citizens who make donations for the kids-at-risk program. Most of the volunteers are the same group that prefers to remain anonymous and in doing so provide a service for networking criminal information.

Stampede Patrol

The City of Omak hired five additional police officers for the annual 2006 Omak Stampede. The officers were given motel accommodations, per diem, FICA, industrial insurance, unemployment benefits and a $25.75 hourly wage. In order to attract of-duty officers for special events it's paramount that the City of Omak maintains competitive hiring practices.

There was an over-flowing crowd for the stampede and Pow Wow this year: so many rodeo fans that the east side park had to have restricted vehicle parking on Saturday night. The weather was hot; there were major forest fires in the Conconully and Winthrop areas and the air was so thick smoke was everywhere but the weather did not deter rodeo fans. The year of 2006 will be remembered as "the biggest and best". The most important issue involving law enforcement and crowd control is "be prepared" and the police department was ready but more help is needed.

Code Enforcement

Gary Lewis who was hired in July of 2006 has assumed the position of The Code Enforcement Officer. The Code Enforcement Officer is responsible for the enforcement of city ordinances regarding Code Enforcement and Animal Control within the City of Omak. Additionally that position is responsible for maintaining the animal shelter and for the housing and care of animals impounded, abandoned or turned in to the department for adoption or disposal. This position also, as the need arises, fills in at the front desk when the office staff is gone due to illness, training or other special circumstances and assisting as time permits in the licensing of animals. The Code Enforcement Officer provides detailed statistical reports regarding areas of impound, fines, fees, etc. The Chief of Police supervises the Code Enforcement Officer.

The animal shelter is located at the sewage treatment facility.

• If you have any problems with your neighbors' weeds or yard messes, please call Gary Lewis, Code Enforcement Officer, at 826-0383. He can enforce cleanup under the city nuisance ordinance.

• Remember that citizens can have two yard sales per year according to state law and also by Omak city ordinance.

• If door-to-door salesmen to knock on your door they are required to register with the Police Dept. and obtain peddler permits. Ask to see their peddler permits and if you have any problems, please call the Police Dept. at 826-0383.

• Keep bicycles and skateboards off downtown sidewalks. A City ordinance prohibits riding them on the sidewalk