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2019 Annual Report: District 1

District 1 trooper working a High Visibility Enforcement (HIVE) patrol on Interstate 5 near the Tacoma Mall.

District 1 trooper and cadets at the Thurston County Crime Stoppers Reindeer Run.
District 1 trooper makes a very “Happy Birthday” visit with a potential future trooper.

Overview

Washington State Patrol (WSP) District 1 is situated in the Puget Sound Basin, providing law enforcement services in Pierce and Thurston County.  The district headquarters and detachments are based out of the Combined Transportation Center in Tacoma and a Tumwater office, with dedicated field patrols providing Gig Harbor area enforcement.  Over 200 employees are assigned to law enforcement, traffic investigations, auto theft, vehicle inspections, communications, administrative support services, forensic laboratory services, deputy fire marshals, and electronic services in District 1.

Stretching from the waters of Puget Sound to Mount Rainier, one of the highest points in North America, District 1 is one of the most heavily populated and traveled regions in the state.  The average daily vehicle count on Interstate 5 exceeds 170,000 in Pierce County and 120,000 in Thurston County.  In addition to the scenic, natural beauty, notable sites include the two bridges spanning the Tacoma Narrows, the Olympia Capitol Campus, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), and the Tacoma Dome.

Key Measurements and Statistics

In 2019, District 1 troopers:

• Made 76,307 self-initiated contacts
• Assisted 51,810 motorists
• Investigated 8,029 collisions
• Removed 2,397 impaired drivers from our roadways

Successes of 2019

District 1 experienced a 5 percent reduction in total collisions, and a nearly 10 percent reduction of injury collisions.

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) construction projects have had a significant impact to commuters on Interstate 5 throughout the Pierce County area. These projects have included work around the Tacoma Dome, State Route 16 interchange, and Tacoma Mall areas. As a result of an increase in commercial vehicle collisions occurring in these areas in early 2019, the WSDOT reduced the speed limit in the construction project area to 50 mph and provided funding to District 1 in an attempt to reduce extended roadway closures due to commercial vehicle collisions. District 1 coordinated numerous high visibility patrols which included the participation of the WSP’s Aviation Section and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau, to enforce the new speed limit. As a result, the amount of commercial vehicle collisions in this area has significantly reduced.

District 1 troopers have continued to conduct wire theft emphasis patrols in the area of State Route 16 in Tacoma. The emphasis placed plain clothed troopers walking through the area to look for suspicious activity. In 2019, WSDOT provided additional funding to continue the emphasis and purchase additional equipment to increase efficiency. As a result, additional arrests have been made and the total number of wire thefts have been reduced.

In September 2019, District 1 coordinated and staffed the WSP’s display at the Washington State Fair in Puyallup. The WSP hosts the display each year to meet with our communities, hear about their concerns, and answer any questions they may have. We also use the opportunity to educate the public about what the WSP is doing and recruit future employees to the department.

District 1 continues to participate in the Interstate 5/JBLM Corridor Joint Operations Group with our partners from WSDOT and JBLM. The group meets monthly to discuss common concerns and improve our response to major roadway closures on Interstate 5. The group is expanding to adjoining jurisdictions which are affected by these closures to include city and county law enforcement and fire departments. The concept of the Joint Operations Group has been successful that other groups are being formed across the state.

Additional Information and Resources:

For those interested in a career with the WSP, please visit us at https://wsp.wa.gov/careers-with-wsp/ or contact our District 1 Recruiter, Trooper Chris Seymour at christopher.seymour@wsp.wa.gov.
Contact us

Mailing Address
Washington State Patrol
PO Box 42600
Olympia, WA 98504

Physical Address
Washington State Patrol
Helen Sommers Building
106 11th Avenue SW
Olympia, WA 98501

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