The Rainier Police Department has practiced the concept of Community Policing long before it gained its recognition and popularity. Police and citizens work together, not only to identify problems affecting the community, but to resolve these issues as well. Remember we (the staff at the Rainier Police Department) are citizens of this community also.

Regardless of the method used to identify issues, police officers engage in a problem solving process, know as S.A.R.A. (Scanning, Analysis, Response and Assessment), During this process, officers gather information about the problem from residents living in the area. They then coordinate with various entities involved with the issue, and develop a solution to the problem. Once an alternative is implemented, officers and citizens review all efforts to determine whether progress has been made toward resolving the problem.

This team effort and partnership ensures citizens will have a reduced crime rate, a reduced fear of crime and an overall improvement of the quality of life in our area. Some of our current and planned programs include:

• NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
• DRUG ABUSE RESISTANCE EDUCATION (D.A.R.E.)
• HOUSE WATCH
• OPERATION IDENTIFICATION
• A CITIZENS ACADEMY
• CRIME & SENIORS
• BICYCLE SAFETY

Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, Town Watch, Crime Watch – whatever the name, it’s one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear. Neighborhood Watch fights the isolation that crime both creates and feeds upon. It forgoes bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve. A well-informed public is a valuable resource for law enforcement, and educating the public about the police and the community helps in reducing the rear of crime. Rainier Police Department officers offer their time and talent to educate as well as protect. Officers may be available upon advance notice to speak at public and private seminars and classes. Topics can include information concerning what the police do and how they do it, crime prevention and community policing, safety information, gang awareness and drug awareness.

The Rainier Police Department encourages Neighborhood Watch groups, and offers assistance to such groups with the belief that citizens are the most important resource available to the police in the fight against crime.

The Rainier Police Department has been investing in the future of it’s community by combating adolescent drug abuse through Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.). This prevention program has been very successful in curbing drug abuse in the City of Rainier. Unfortunately, we had to suspend our D.A.R.E. program due to the transferring of the Rainier Intermediate School students and the Rainier Middle School Students to the Hudson Park School, located in the county.

The Vacation House Watch program is a program developed by the Rainier Police Department designed to provide peace of mind to our residents while they are away from home for extended periods of time. Officers from the Rainier Police Department will physically check their house during their absence. Information provided by the resident makes it possible to contact them, or their designated key holder, in the event that the residence may need attention. The Vacation House Watch Program provides an overall increase in police presence around their home during their time away.

A thief’s greatest risk is being "caught in the act", and the second greatest risk is being caught with the evidence. Because mass-produced assembly line appliances and products look identical, the police have no way of identifying them as stolen goods, leaving little grounds for incrimination. Operation Identification is a citizens burglary prevention program for use in homes and local businesses. The Operation Identification program involves marking property with Oregon State identifier numbers as a means of discouraging burglary and theft. In communities where it has been properly implemented, Operation Identification has shown dramatic results in its ability to reduce burglaries.

The Rainier Police Department will loan any citizen or business an electronic engraver and give proper instruction on how to mark their property and keep the information in a safe place.

As people grow older, their chances of being victims of crime decrease dramatically. But a lifetime of experience, coupled with the physical problems associated with aging often make older Americans fearful. Though they’re on the lookout constantly for suspicious activity, physical attack and burglary, they’re not as alert to frauds, scams, and con games. It is our desire to work closely with our local seniors and develop programs that are custom tailored for our community.

The citizens police academy provides community members with an inside look at local law enforcement. The purpose of the academy is to increase understanding between the citizens, through education and interaction with members of the police department. The academy gives citizens the opportunity to learn why we can and/or cannot do certain things. It is hoped that the instruction will increase police awareness, to dispel suspicions and misconceptions, and to increase police/ community rapport through this educational program.