Vancouver officials are defending their decision to spend $20,000 to send law enforcement officers to attend and work at a memorial in Tacoma for four slain Lakewood police officers.
Police Chief Cliff Cook sent an e-mail to City Manager Pat McDonnell this week after The Columbian ran a story that showed law enforcement agencies spent $34,000 in wages and fuel attending the Dec. 8 memorial.
Of that, the biggest chunk came from the Vancouver Police Department, which sent 19 law enforcement members at a cost of $20,000.
On Friday, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office reported it sent an additional eight SWAT team members to work security outside the Tacoma Dome, beyond the 15 previously reported. The cost to taxpayers was $6,817, bringing the grand total to nearly $41,000.
In addition to Cook, McDonnell and Vancouver Mayor Tim Leavitt said they supported the expenditure.
“I would hope that people understand the magnitude of such tragedies and the costs associated with memorial services of this size,” Cook said.
But not everyone agreed.
When The Columbian’s story was posted on http://www.columbian.com, the comments section lit up. And differing opinions were posted.
“Suggesting that officers should pay their own way is mean-spirited and miserly. They were representing Vancouver and Clark County. As a resident, I’m grateful that Clark County was represented. I don’t mind paying for it,” one commenter said.
Another commenter disagreed. “America is going broke and bankrupt and this type of waste is one of the reasons why. We simply can no longer afford this type of thing. Honor the dead, yes, but not at this type of expense.”
The Columbian also provided another vehicle for readers to express their opinion with an unscientific poll. The poll generated more than 800 votes — one of The Columbian’s largest vote totals — with these results:
o 32 percent said the expenditure was appropriate.
o 57 percent suggested we should have spent less.
o 9 percent said they weren’t sure.
Fewer wouldn’t suffice
Cook cited the need for heightened security and a mutual aid agreement with the state’s other law enforcement agencies, including the Lakewood Police Department, as a reason for sending so many officers. Sending fewer officers wouldn’t have allowed the department to provide the level of support needed, Cook said.
The Vancouver Police Department provided 11 SWAT team members, who put in 18.5 hours each, to perform sniper watch and outside security; three motorcycle officers to serve in the procession; and five honor guard members to perform ceremonial duties. Another 15 officers attended on their own time and were not paid.
The city’s top officials offered their support of Cook, saying the city would provide the same level of response should the situation happen again.
McDonnell said he felt taxpayer money was spent appropriately, even taking into account the city’s current budget woes. Costs were minimized by officers’ carpooling and by not incurring overtime, lodging or meal expenses, he argued.
“I think we managed it well and did what we could to minimize expenses,” McDonnell said. “I fully support Chief Cook and our officers.”
When asked whether fewer officers could have been sent to save costs, McDonnell said: “Could it have been one or two less? Maybe. But in the scope of everything, I think we managed it well.”
Leavitt agreed with McDonnell, saying an outpouring of officer support is exactly what a law enforcement agency should be doing.
“I think it was important for our community to show support to the city of Lakewood and the Lakewood PD and family members of the victims,” he said. “We would hope that if something like that happened in our community we would receive the same response.”
In the memo and in an interview this week, Cook listed a number of reasons supporting his agency’s response:
o Security: The size of the crowd — 20,000 people, most of them law enforcement — and notoriety of some of the attendees — including the governor and FBI director — prompted an elevated threat advisory.
Another reason, Cook said, that so much security was needed was that the person who committed the Nov. 29 killings was still at large.
“As the suspects in the murder were still at large, our overriding concern was that this event would be used as another means of attacking (officers in Washington),” he wrote in the memo.
He repeated this to The Columbian in an interview.
The suspect, Maurice Clemmons, actually had been shot and killed by authorities a week before the memorial.
“Maybe I’m mixing up my facts,” the chief said when informed of the dates. But he added that there were indications from the coordinating agencies that there were threats or potential of threats against law enforcement attending that service.
o Requests, mutual aid: The chief said the Lakewood Police Department requested his agency’s help, and by ignoring the request, he could have violated a mutual aid agreement mandating support of fellow state law enforcement agencies.
He likened the aid agreement to the one in place when there’s a hostage situation and additional officers in other jurisdictions are called in.
Both Cook and McDonnell also said they saw the city’s response as a way to help the city of Lakewood avoid “devastating” costs.
“It’s not just picking up Lakewood’s tab,” McDonnell said. “We do reciprocity all the time.”
o On the dime? When asked whether the officers sent could have volunteered their time, Cook said ordering them to work the memorial uncompensated would violate labor law.
“I’m sure that many of our SWAT members would have gladly donated their time in order to provide security for this event,” Cook wrote in the memo. “But our members need to be on-duty to provide adequate security.”
He wrapped up the memo by saying: “Hopefully we will never have to face a similar situation. But if we were, I know I can count on Washington law enforcement agencies to assist us.”
Laura McVicker: 360-735-4516 or laura.mcvicker@columbian.com.
