Our office is located at 239 2nd Ave SE in
Soap Lake, Washington. Our office hours are 7 days a week, 24 hours a day.
If you wish to talk with our Chief, please call our office M-F between 6am
and 2pm. Hours at City Hall are from 8am to 5pm M-F excluding holidays. If
you are unable to contact an officer in person or by phone please contact
our dispatch center.
(Multi Agency Communications Center or MACC) at (509) 762-1160.
If you have an emergency, call 911.
If you have a Soap Lake
address, but live outside the city limits, you will need to contact the
Grant County Sheriff's Office at (509) 754-2011 or call the MACC dispatch center.
Ever thought about becoming a police officer but wasn't sure if you
were ready to commit full time? You may consider becoming a volunteer Reserve
Officer. Our requirements include a clean background (background check
will be completed by our office) and you must be at least 21 years of age.
The job itself will require a certain amount of physical ability and our
standards equal those as directed by the Washington
State Criminal Justice Center. You may want to take this into consideration before applying.
Applications can be obtained from our office. If your application is
approved by the department, you will be required to pass a polygraph test
before registering for the Grant County Reserve Academy. The Academy
normally begins in late fall and lasts for 6 months. The classes are two
nights a week and occasional weekends. The class curriculum covers many
subjects such as Criminal Law, Domestic Violence, Report Writing, Handgun
Safety, etc. Once you have completed the Academy, you will be commissioned
as a Reserve Police Officer and will start your hands-on training. You
will be required to ride and train a minimum of 18 hours per month
with other Regular and Reserve Officers until such time that the
department has determined you are ready to work on your own. Your release will
depend primarily on your ability to do the job well and safely, and on your
commitment towards the goals of the department. There are only a few events that are mandatory to work
as a Reserve Officer. Those include the Fourth of July Parade and
Fireworks Display, and the annual car and motorcycle rallies. You may also be asked
to work other events as they arise. After completion of the Reserve Academy, you can usually choose
your own hours to work or train and you may also be eligible for paid
temporary positions.
Your "next
in command" will be the Patrol Sergeant. The Patrol Sergeant will
assist in and keep track of your training and monthly hours, and
assist in any questions or issues you may have. He/She will also
schedule monthly meetings and training that you will be required to
attend. If you have any further questions about becoming a
Police Reserve, please leave a message for Chief Dorris at our
department office and he will return your call.
The Explorer Program is offered to youths
between the ages of 16 and 21 who are interested in possibly pursuing a
future in Law Enforcement. Background checks will be performed before
acceptance into the program. There are no formal training requirements at this
time, however; a commitment in time and attendance in the monthly meetings
as determined by the Reserve Sergeant is mandatory. The Explorer will be welcome to ride with other officers (please
check with the officer you wish to ride with on availability) and learn
police procedures. You will be assigned to the Chief of Police or to an
Explorer Supervisor. The Explorer is not a commissioned police officer so
he/she will not be allowed to become involved in any situation that the
Training Officer feels is unsafe. Regardless,
it is still a great way for youths to see what it is a police officer experiences
day to day. Youths who have spent a year or more in the Explorer Program
often find that the experience has put them several steps ahead in training once
they decide to commit to the Reserve or Regular Academy.
During the warmer months, some of our officers take part in the Bike
Patrol. This consists of two officers uniformed in white
department bike polo's and black shorts. They ride all-terrain type
bicycles clearly marked POLICE equipped with flashing lights. For safety
and transport reasons, a third uniformed officer will act as
"cover-car" in a marked police vehicle. The general public,
especially the local youth, really enjoy the bike patrol and they often stop the officers
during their patrol to talk with them and check out the bikes. The
officers don't mind this at all, and its a nice change from riding
in a car all day. Reserve Officers are eligible to participate in
this program.
There is no single Animal Control Officer in
our department at this time. It's a job shared by all. We love animals
just as much as you do, and want to see that your animal stays safe and
healthy. There are several City Municipal Codes regarding animals residing
within the city limits. The infractions that are most commonly cited are mentioned here for your
convenience.
The City Municipal Code of
Soap Lake, WA states that all dogs residing within the city limits
are required to be registered with City Hall and wear a City of Soap
Lake dog tag. This tag contains a number that can be matched with
your dog's registration information at City Hall and is required to
be renewed every January. What does this mean for you? If your dog
wanders off of your property and is picked up by a Soap Lake Police
Officer, chances are the dog can be retrieved by you the same day.
After looking up your dog's tag number and owner information, our
officers will attempt to contact you. If we are unable to contact you, the dog will be placed in
the city animal shelter so that our officers can resume their regular
duties.
Municipal Code also states that your dog is not to be off of your
property unless under your control. Basically this means that he/she is
not to be running loose within city limits. If your dog is picked up by or turned over to an
officer, you could be fined by the city for "Dog At
Large". Each future instance for the same dog results in more
severe penalties. If a dog is picked up and we are unable to contact an
owner (usually because the dog has not been registered with the city) it
is placed in the city animal shelter for a period of 72 hours after which time
it becomes the property of the City of Soap Lake. If an owner is located,
they will be charged a "boarding" and "pickup" fee,
and could face fines for not having the dog tagged and/or for allowing it
to run loose. This could get expensive. We ask that you PLEASE register
your dog andkeep them at home or with you at all times. Excessive
barking while your dog is outside could also result in a visit from your
local police department and possible fines. There are no current city
codes regarding cats, but due to the overwhelming and increasing amount of
stray cats within the city limits, we ask that you spay or neuter your
cat. No "farm" animals are allowed to be kept within the city
limits. This includes animals such as horses, chickens, rabbits, goats,
etc. There are certain areas outside of the downtown area that allow for
horseback riding. Please check with City Hall for more information on
these or other Municipal Codes regarding animals.
This is a program offered by our department
that helps us recover your bicycle if it becomes lost or stolen. It is
especially popular with the local children. If you or your child has a bicycle
that has not been registered with us, bring it into the police station and an officer will record the bicycle's make, model,
color, description, and serial number on a card that will go on file
at the department. This card will also include the owner's name,
address, and a contact phone number. A number will be assigned to that card, and a
foil sticker with that number will be applied to the bicycle.
If the bicycle is found or
recovered by our department and has the sticker on it, we will be able to
match the number with the record and return the bicycle to you. Even if
the sticker has been removed, a record of the serial number would still
provide us a way to prove ownership.
If you plan to be out of town for a while and
you do not have anyone watching your home for you, please feel free to
stop by our station or city hall and fill out a "House Watch" form. Let us
know who you are, where you live, how long you will be gone, who is
allowed to be at your home during your absence, and whether or not you
have a security system. While you are out of town, our officers will make
daily stops by your residence to check it for you and look for signs of
unlawful entry. Make
sure to leave us a number to contact you at in case we discover a problem.
(Also make sure to let us know if you will have a dog in the yard!) This
service is especially popular in the winter for those residents who reside
out of town during the colder months. This service is also available
for visitors who park coaches within the Smokiam campground.
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