Police need a new home for a better Kent

Have you seen the signs around town urging us to vote favorably on Kent Proposition A? My husband and I own a home in Kent, and I’ve learned that if we vote yes, our taxes will increase.

I’m inclined to vote positively to support Kent’s police department. In the 15 years I have lived and worked in Kent, I have had numerous interactions with the police at our residence and at my place of work. I have come to respect their professionalism served with diligence, compassion and fairness.

But anytime I’m going to pay more, I want to really understand why.

So I called the chief of police and asked for a tour of the current facilities. Our increased tax money would provide a new headquarters, and I wanted to see the need. After watching six officers working in a space one-fourth the size of my kitchen, after hearing about two officers standing in line for a computer space, after seeing storage of necessary equipment in small closets spread throughout several offices, and after realizing that an integral unit was housed several blocks, which potentially hindered vital communication, I was convinced of my yes vote.

I now have no hesitation concerning our city’s need for a new police headquarters.

With the growth of our city and the subsequent growth of our law enforcement staff, we must give them an adequate and effective space from which to work.

The police are our community partners providing security and protection. They help build a healthy place for us to live and work. I urge you to agree with me on a yes vote for Kent Proposition A to provide a new home for our Kent Police Department.

The return value on our financial investment will be significant and benefit all of us.

– Jane Prestbye, pastor, Kent Lutheran Church