PATRIOT BREMERTON
KITSAP WEEK: Kingston seniors create coming-of-age film
FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 | Vol. 18, No. 12 | WWW.BREMERTONPATRIOT.COM | 50¢
IN THIS EDITION
Police release 2014 arrest statistics BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
NEWS Two men sought in cleaner burglary
BREMERTON — Bremerton Police presented their 2014 Professional Standards Report to the Bremerton City Council on May 20. “It’s super important to have this because ... anyone that’s looked at the news or read the news, in law enforcement today we have to be transparent,” said Capt. Tom Wolfe. The report is a detailed list
of complaints, internal investigations, claims, pursuits, officer collisions, use of force and bias-based policing. Complaints against police increased 240 percent from 21 in 2013 to 51 in 2014. Wolfe said the increase is because Bremerton Police now comply with Washington Association of Sheriffs & Police Chiefs standards, which are more stringent. “It doesn’t mean that we had 240 percent more complaints,
“We make sure every single complaint is tracked, documented into the system so we know we can track early warning” – Tom Wolfe, Bremerton Police it means that since we did our accreditation we changed how we handle things,” Wolfe said. “So we make sure every single complaint is tracked, documented into the system so we
know we can track early warning and all that.” Infractions by race The report also lists the amount of fractions issued by race and by that race’s propor-
OPINION Class of 2016 to be informed citizens
Smith is the only PE teacher in Cottonwood Elementary’s history
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SPORTS Cup stacking family aims to set records
BY PETER O’CAIN
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POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
one made as a matter of policy, not because of a dispute between the two entities. He believes this will allow Bremerton to focus solely on its own interests.
BREMERTON — On May 21, Cottonwood Elementary had an exercise in controlled, at times unbridled, chaos. Pre-teens in pink shirts and bright helmets whirled across the gymnasium floor on unicycles; some riding high enough to dunk a basketball, some low enough to scrape their shoes on the hardwood. Hundreds of their young peers watched from the edges of the gym, gathered in assembly. But nothing the kids from the Central Kitsap School District Unicycle Team did
SEE KRCC, A9
SEE GALE SMITH, A9
Peter O’Cain / staff photo
Riders in The Unforgotten, Run to Tahoma VI depart the Kitsap County Administration Building in Port Orchard on May 23. Hundreds of motorcycle riders escorted the remains of Robert Sherman Timm (U.S. Army), Linda Eagleson Burnett Dodge (U.S. Army) and Gary James Cegalis (U.S. Air Force) to Tahoma National Cemetary for a military burial. More photos on page 6.
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SEE POLICE STATS, A9
Teacher retires after 37 years
RUN TO TAHOMA
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SPORTS Building a field of dreams
tion the the Bremerton population. Caucasians: 76.8 percent of infractions; 74 percent of Bremerton’s population. African-Americans: 8.3 percent of infractions; 6.7 percent of Bremerton’s population. Asian / Pacific Islander: 8.3 percent of infractions; 6.8 percent of Bremerton’s population.
Bremerton withdraws from KRCC BY PETER O’CAIN POCAIN@SOUNDPUBLISHING.COM
BREMERTON — The Bremerton City Council voted unanimously to withdraw from the Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council May 20.
City Council president Greg Wheeler sent a letter to the KRCC May 22 informing them of the Bremerton’s withdrawal. After the letter was submitted, Bremerton will remain a member of the
KRCC for six more months. The city can still reverse its decision during that time and cancel its withdrawal. However, that does not appear likely. Wheeler called the move
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