Issaquah/Sammamish Reporter, April 06, 2012

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Reporter ISSAQUAH | SAMMAMISH

Friday, April 6, 2012

www.issaquahreporter.com

Tighter rules

Officer Nathan Lane fills out a witness statement in a domestic violence incident on the hood of his patrol car. DV cases are some of the most dangerous for officers. Below, Dustin Huberdeau talks to a speeder on Newport Way. CELESTE

Sammamish passes new regulations on soliciting BY KEVIN ENDEJAN KENDEJAN@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM

GRACEY, Issaquah & Sammamish Reporter

Prepared for the Worst Training is a matter of life – and death – for Issaquah Police

BY CELESTE GRACEY CGRACEY@ISSAQUAHREPORTER.COM

O

“You may be the nicest person in the world, and we’re looking to see if you have a gun.”

fficer Nathan Lane cruises through the Issaquah Highlands, cracking jokes about cops and donuts, when a call breaks through the radio – a report of domestic violence. Urgency displaces the easy banter, and he turns his car sharp for Cougar Mountain. “Who is it?” he asks dispatch. Lane, known for his Rolodex memory, can recall faces, past crimes and current warrants like a Jeopardy champion. The victim’s name is important, but the one that pops up on the screen is a surprise. A young man once arrested for one crime is now the victim of another. The victim isn’t the most honest of people, Lane says. He learns the incident is long over, and his concern cools. Officers won’t be breaking up a fight – probably. Police don’t assume what’s probable though. They prepare for the worst.

– Officer Brian Horn A block from the victim’s home, three officers take notes about a fistfight between roommates. The man points to bruises starting to appear on his face and to his pocket from where he says he lost a couple hundred dollars. Placing him into the patrol car to search for the roommate, Lane continues assessing the situation. Whose home is it? Who lives there, he asks. “Is there a gun in this house?” “Um, no. Yeah, I’m pretty sure, no,” the complainant hesitates.

“Are you sure?” Lane hollers. His tone demands certainty. It’s the victim’s home; he should know. “Is there a gun at this place?” “Yeah, I’m sure,” he finally nods. Domestic violence cases are some of the most dangerous police handle. Often, victims turn on officers to defend their abuser, and there are frequently polar opposite views of what happened. Issaquah Police take the reports so seriously, they require supervisors SEE POLICE, 3

Solicitors who have committed a crime within the last decade won’t sell goods in Sammamish anytime soon. The city council passed a new ordinance Tuesday that requires criminal background checks, limits hours of door-to-door solicitation and requires vendors to obey by signs that clearly display “no soliciting.” “We now have an ordinance that replaces basically nothing,” Councilman Tom Vance said. “We had nothing before.” The city previously required solicitors obtain licenses, but now they will be subjected to background checks. Applicants will be denied if they have been convicted of a crime directly related to the sale or representation of any goods within 10 years, including, but not limited to burglary, theft and fraud. The council hopes the added regulation will help quash the threat of door-to-door salespeople related to theft rings — a growing problem in Sammamish. Solicitors will also be subject to new time constraints, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Previously, there was no SEE SOLICITING, 8

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