Dear Yarrow Point Residents,
I have received numerous calls from concerned residents about what steps the Town is taking to ensure the safety and protection of Yarrow Point in the event the protest and senseless looting spill over into our beloved community. We are actively working with Clyde Hill Police Department and are also installing an Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) on Yarrow Point as a trial system. I was in the midst of sending out notification of such system, however the timing of the protest and unrest have prompted me to accelerate such notice and make clear that such installation was not in response to recent events, but the result of 6 months of efforts by the Town to proactively put additional safety systems in place. Outlined below are some of the specific actions the the Town has taken:
- Daily contact with Clyde Hill Police Department Chief Kyle Kolling. CHPD and neighboring agencies have increased their staffing and as a result of interlocal relationships, Clyde Hill, Medina, Bellevue and Kirkland Police departments collectively back up to each other, expanding the coverage available to us on Yarrow Point. I have also requested CHPD stage an officer at the entry to Yarrow Point to be visible to residents and others, with the trade off that it will limit the patrolling of individual streets on Yarrow Point.
- Installation of Automated License Plate Readers on Yarrow Point. This is a project that the Town has been working on for the last 6 months and the scheduled installation date is 6/4/20. The specifics of the system are:
- Installation of two cameras. One monitoring northbound traffic on 92nd as vehicles enter the Point, north of the roundabout. The second camera will monitor vehicles going westbound on 33rd Street, west of the roundabout.
- Along with reading the license plate, the ALPR will identify the basic make, model and color of the vehicle.
- The ALPR System will compare the license plate number against the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) “Hot List” which includes Stolen Vehicles and Amber Alerts.
- If a “Suspect” vehicle/plate is identified, an alert is sent to NORCOM and automatically sent to CHPD for follow up action.
- The ALPR System is the functional equivalent of having someone stand at the entry to Yarrow Point, review the license plate of every car and call 911 if they detect a suspect.
We take the safety and security of our residents as our primary responsibility. Almost 50% of our operational budget is directed to Police Services. We hope the measures we are taking can add to our resident’s confidence and comfort that security concerns are being addressed. We also want to stress that basic “Neighborhood Watch” programs are extremely helpful and that every little action helps. If you see anything out of the ordinary, please don’t hesitate to call 911 and let the protective services of the CHPD follow up.
Thank you and be safe!
Dicker Cahill
Mayor, Yarrow Point