More police, less crime follow cityhood

By JACK HOPKINS
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Cityhood already has brought about a stronger police presence. The King County Sheriff's Office provides coverage on a contract basis, but is assigning more manpower to the area than it did in the past. Where once there was only the equivalent of a half of one full-time officer, there now are two officers full time 24 hours a day, Mayor Laure Iddings says.

Maple Valley doesn't have a lot of crime, and most offenses involve property crimes.

"I don't think we've even had a robbery here this year," says Reid Johnson, the county's chief in Maple Valley.

Having Lake Wilderness Park -- one of King County's most popular recreation areas -- in the middle of the city doesn't put much pressure on police, says Richard Brenner, one of the officers who patrols Maple Valley.

"There was a time when there could be a problem with drinking and rowdy teenagers," Brenner says. "But the park has really cleaned up in the last few years. I wouldn't hesitate to take my family there.

"And I wouldn't have said that five years ago."