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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday,
January 29, 2002
| Contact: | Thurston
County Prosecutor Ed Holm, 360-786-5540 | | Prosecutor’s Office
Spokeswoman Dee Koester, 360-786-5540 X-6248 |
Community
Prosecutor at work in Lacey
OLYMPIA – A federal grant from the Federal
Bureau of Justice Assistance has allowed the Thurston County Prosecutor’s
Office to establish a Community Prosecutor in the city of Lacey.
The one-year anniversary of the start of the project is being
recognized this week. Prosecutor
Ed Holm says the deputy prosecutor is located in the Lacey Police Department
and serves the department, the city and schools in the North Thurston School
District. “We are pleased to be
able to co-locate a prosecutor with Lacey who can provide various kinds of
assistance to the jurisdictions. By
being in the community, she can better understand the kinds of issues they
face and the kinds of cases they might need help with.”
Although the program has been getting underway
for a year, the actual implementation grant takes effect in February.
Under the program, deputy prosecutor Susan
Sackett-DanPullo is working on issues prioritized by the city, the school
district, the police department and a Citizen’s Advisory Committee.
Some of the issues were discovered through a comprehensive outreach
effort done by the community prosecution team during which 2,000 citizens were
contacted in 86 different meetings. Among
the top issues are- Property Crimes, Vandalism, Burglary, Vehicle Prowls,
Domestic Violence and Reduction of Substance Abuse.
“This cooperative approach really involves the
entire community and we are pleased to be able to offer whatever kind of
services we are able to apply.” Says Holm.
“The citizens, police department, city hall and schools in Lacey have
really stepped up to this effort.
It is our hope to expand this model in Lacey and eventually to other
areas of Thurston County.”
The initial phase of the program is paid for
under a $75,000 Community Prosecution Planning Grant.
A special one-year anniversary program will be held at 7 PM the
evening of January 31st at the Lacey Community Center on Pacific
Avenue and the public is invited.
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