Results and Highlights

Notable Results and Highlights

It’s important to note that for the vast majority of 2024, the initial eight programs were the primary drivers of interactions between officers and the public, since the new agencies were in various states of onboarding and still building momentum. With that in mind:

• There were 267 interactions by law enforcement officers with people whose dire situations provided opportunities for Bluebridge assistance

• These interactions directly involved over 3,382 persons, and indirectly affected 8,724 persons

• The assistance provided by the officers addressed a wide spectrum of activities, such as domestic violence, crime diversion, homelessness, life-saving, drug/alcohol recovery, de-escalation, suicide, and avoidance of incidents of mass impact

• The type of assistance provided also varied widely, to include the provisions of food, lodging, transportation, fuel, health care, and community outreach

• Some agencies utilized their BlueBridge program significantly, and others sparingly, but effectively

• Departments of special mention are Moses Lake, East Wenatchee/Wenatchee, Marysville, Kent, and Pullman

• Not surprisingly, December saw the largest number of interactions, with 52 instances of assistance during the holiday month alone

Another example demonstrates the value of officers building trusted relationships with youth, with far-reaching positive effects. A student reported the possibility of a gun in her school, which fortunately turned out not to be the case, but her actions were determined to be well-founded. As we all know so well, the mere threat of a gun in a school immediately launches a cascade of events--from school lockdowns, to parental panic, law enforcement response, and a media frenzy. These reactions were avoided by the student’s brave and timely transmittal of information, and all the resulting chaos that could have ensued was avoided. The officers involved utilized BlueBridge funds to reward and reinforce the student’s courage in bringing the information forward. It's critical to note that this student's willingness to speak up was the result of trust that had been cultivated by a team of School Resource Officers who regularly leverage their BlueBridge program to build that trust.

In another instance, a lunch with a Chief and his officers was held specifically for “at-risk juveniles” to help build rapport and relationships. The creativity of the officers is amazing, as they find a wide variety of ways to help those most in need or at risk:

• Gas and school supplies

• Hockey tickets for a group of veterans

• Clothes for an alleged shoplifter who was wearing socks and house slippers soaked by a cold rain

• Safe shelter for domestic violence victims

• Transportation to rehabilitation appointments

• Food/shelter for starving animals

• Car seats for toddlers

• Medical supplies and eyeglasses

• A meal for a grieving family that had just lost a loved one

• Hosting a youth summer camp and soccer camps, targeting at-risk individuals

• De-escalating a potential suicide by purchasing a family meal and working through the issues

Cost avoidance

It is often difficult to accurately measure the cost-avoidance that results from officers’ actions, but that avoidance certainly involves the police response to a crisis, as well as the costs of court, jail, hospitalization, and in some unfortunate cases, funerals.

Using models developed by the Rand Corporation (2016), the American Journal of Criminal Justice (2017), and Cambridge University (2018), the following estimates provides a high-level insight into the average amount of law enforcement costs for violent and property crimes (this does not include the prosecution, court and jail/prison costs):

• Violent Crime: $10,900/prosecution (Range: $6,900-15,400)

• Property Crime: $1,300/prosecution (Range: $700-1,700)

Translating this to the officer estimates of crime avoidance through BlueBridge support, the following conservative figures emerge for 2024:

• Violent Crime: $316,100 in law enforcement costs avoided

• Property Crime: $84,000 in law enforcement costs avoided

Extrapolating these estimates to the total cost of police, prosecution, courts, and jail/prison would certainly yield a tremendously large number, but the intent here is to provide just a glimpse into the cost avoidances that have been realized by the participating officers..

Perhaps most impressive, and using the same models, BlueBridge saved the public over $819,000 through diverting youth from the criminal justice system.

Moving Forward

BlueBridge remains committed to its core objectives and to leveraging the momentum gained in 2024:

• Activating programs with the 20 additional agencies currently in the onboarding pipeline and engaging with dozens more across Washington state.

• Successfully launching the first BlueBridge programs outside of Washington in 2025, with initial focus on states like Texas, Arizona, California, Wyoming, and Oregon.

• Continuing to provide immediate, on-the-spot assistance to those in urgent need through our growing network of agencies.

• Deepening trusting relationships between community members and law enforcement through positive, supportive interactions.

• Supporting officer well-being, recruitment, and retention by empowering them to make a tangible difference.

• Continuously improving public safety through positive engagement, proactive support, and data-driven insights from our enhanced reporting system.

We believe in the power of connection and compassion to build safer, more unified communities. BlueBridge will continue to innovate, expand, and support law enforcement agencies in their mission to protect and serve with humanity and integrity.