SPOKANE, Wash. – Spokane City Council Member Jonathan Bingle held a news conference expressing support for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program. Community members attended the event, concerned about neighborhood safety if the local COPS shop were to close.
The future of the COPS organization is uncertain as the 2025 city budget does not include funding for the program. Bingle emphasized the importance of neighborhood COPS organizations in helping the community feel safer.
City Council is set to vote on a resolution during Monday night’s meeting to extend funding to the COPS organization for three months. Bingle argued that three months is not sufficient.
“So today I’m asking all of us, our mayor, my fellow city council members and every resident of Spokane to take a stand. Let’s make sure cops has the needs to continue its work not for a few months for the year,” Bingle said.
Council President Betsy Wilkerson also spoke, highlighting the importance of funding public safety programs. She noted that volunteerism is “not what it used to be” and emphasized the need for a fiscally responsible approach to support these programs.
Council Members Bingle and Michael Cathcart are urging the community to attend Monday night’s City Council meeting, stating it may be their last chance to have their voices heard.
