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Spokane assistant police chief Matt Coles stresses de-escalation, training and community partnerships at Ombuds meeting
Summary
At the April 15 meeting of the City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission, Assistant Chief Matt Coles introduced himself and outlined priorities including de-escalation-focused training, managing lateral hires, use of technology and stronger behavioral-health partnerships to address downtown problems.
Assistant Chief Matt Coles, newly promoted from his previous role overseeing Internal Affairs, introduced himself to the City of Spokane Office of the Police Ombuds Commission at the commission’s April 15 meeting and described several near-term priorities for the department.
Coles, a 27-year Spokane police officer, said he wants officers to be able to “say, I’ve helped people and can retire with that, goal, checkbox checked” and described his focus on department cohesion, training and community relationships. “My direction to my training staff is that that will be our number 1 priority,” he told commissioners.
Why it matters: Coles framed his priorities around reducing instances where force becomes necessary by emphasizing tactics that “slow things down,” give officers time and distance, and improve communications with people in crisis. He identified training, tactics and technology — including aerial observation tools — as tools the department intends to use to reduce risky contact and give officers more information before they arrive on scene.
Key points Coles described: - De-escalation and training: Coles said the department will prioritize de-escalation in training and extend field training for new academy graduates. - Lateral hires and culture: He acknowledged trade-offs in hiring experienced officers from other jurisdictions, saying “they’re bringing their cultures with them” and that the department must use training and onboarding to align laterals with Spokane’s policies and values. - Technology: Coles described an interest in using “an eye in the sky” to give officers better situational awareness before placing people and officers into dynamic interactions. - Downtown policing and partnerships: He credited recent downtown improvements to long-term collaboration with community resource providers and said policing cannot, by itself, solve homelessness, mental health or addiction problems. - Precincts and community policing: Coles said the precinct model — assigning officers to smaller areas so they “get to know the businesses” and residents — is a goal, and he discussed tradeoffs involved in moving precinct locations, noting the value of relationships built by proximity. - Specialty units and structure: Coles said the department is adding neighborhood resource officers (NROs) and expects a seven-person target for that function; he also said seven dedicated traffic officers and two dedicated DUI officers are being assigned, plus a grant-funded drug/alcohol recognition specialist. - Behavioral-health response and CIT: Coles said all patrol officers have Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and described the city and county dividing responsibility for co-responder behavioral-health teams so each serves its primary jurisdiction.
Review and accountability: On critical incidents and deadly-force review, Coles said the department is discussing ways to provide community information sooner and to make administrative review panels more effective; he said executive staff are being embedded in panels to “ensure that they’re staying on track with the mission and values of the department.” He noted that changes may require work with state-level partners and referenced challenges created by well-intentioned processes that slow information sharing.
What commissioners raised: Commissioners asked about the downtown precinct’s accessibility, whether the South Precinct might be relocated, the scope and length of lateral-hire orientation, and how the department is responding to narratives about downtown crime. Coles invited commissioners to tour facilities and said the department is intent on telling more positive stories about downtown partnerships and outcomes.
Bottom line: Coles presented a training- and partnership-first approach intended to reduce the need for force, improve officer morale and preserve community relationships. He said the department is actively refining training and deployment to meet those goals and invited oversight and community engagement as part of that effort.
Provenance: The commission introduced Coles and discussed his remarks and Q&A during the April 15 meeting.
