Built in 1925, the Winthrop Hotel replaced the headquarters that the Tacoma Chamber of Commerce built after trading Old City Hall to the municipal government. It is named for early explorer Theodore Winthrop, who is credited with first referring to Mt. Rainier as "Mt. Tacoma." The Winthrop was remodeled for senior housing in the 1970s as one of Tacoma's first urban renewal projects.

Two years ago, the Winthrop's owners put it on the market; they were inclined toward a buyer who would maintain its current use. Over those two years, a building that was reasonably well-managed turned into one of the biggest law enforcement problems in the city. Police and paramedics are regulars on the corner. The blocks around the Winthrop account for 21 percent of the incident reports by BIA patrols, which cover 84 blocks throughout the city center.

A.F. Evans of Oakland has negotiated an option to purchase the Winthrop and plans to partner with the Northwest Affordable Housing Management Association to rehabilitate it. 168 units would remain federally subsidized apartments while the remaining 26 units would be rented at market rate, and Evans would renovate the old Crystal Ballroom and commercial storefronts on the ground level.

How Do We Spell Relief?
Vandalism, drug dealing, car prowls and aggressive panhandling have been on the rise in the greater downtown area; current "hot spots" include the blocks around the Winthrop Hotel at 9th & Commerce and the east end of the Nalley Valley. This latest outbreak of disorder reflects a cycle that manifested itself last year along Tacoma Ave.

Cooperative efforts involving police, other public safety agencies, citizens and businesses have helped dampen sporadic outbursts of public disorder in the past. Programs like the BIA (funded by downtown property owners) have proved effective, but ongoing success requires continual commitment from a variety of sources.

There are any number of ideas on how to fight crime, but few have proven as successful as the strategy articulated by crime consultant George Kelling in his landmark book, Fixing Broken Windows. Using the now famous analogy of the ``broken window'' (a broken window leads to more broken windows which lead to graffiti, etc., creating an atmosphere conducive to criminal behavior), Kelling argued that by attacking quality-of-life crimes, such as public drunkenness and aggressive panhandling, more serious crimes would be deterred.

The Downtown BIA has endorsed a recent resolution from the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber that encourages local government and member businesses to cooperatively address the current rise in public disorder, petty street crime and nuisance behavior in downtown Tacoma and adjacent neighborhoods through coordinated deployment of the following strategies:

• Use 911 to document problems

• Partner with others for "safety in numbers" - support renewal/expansion of the downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA) and other such group efforts:

• Increase police patrols (e.g., redeploy BIA bikes downtown on the swing shift)

• Incorporate Community Policing Through Environmental Design (CPTED) into new projects and renovations

• Require all organizations and programs to mitigate their community impacts in cooperation with other stakeholders (e.g., management of the Winthrop Hotel)

• Tie funding for community services and programs to implementation of evidence-based "best practices"

• Encourage public agencies (e.g., Law Enforcement Support Agency) to direct funding into opportunities for improved coordination and communication among public safety providers

The Security Advisory Committee meets monthly in order to address security issues within the 84-block Business Improvement Area (BIA). To get involved with the meetings, please contact committee chair Judee Encinias at DaVita, (253) 382-1281.