MATTAWA — The Mattawa Police Department responded to 64 calls for service during December 2020, according to a report given to the Mattawa City Council meeting Jan. 11.

The calls were divided into three categories: dispatched calls for service, self-initiated activity and created in error. The majority, 80%, calls for service in Mattawa were from residents asking for officer assistance. Eighteen percent of the calls were initiated by police officers. Only 2% of the calls were labeled as created in error, a designation applied to calls created by dispatch, the entity handling 911 calls for Grant County emergency services, which were a mistake or did not “meet the qualifications to be included in the team’s billing.”

Of the 64 calls, 40 were for criminal incidents, while the other 24 were for non-criminal incidents. According to the report, non-criminal incidents are an opportunity to create “positive interactions with the public that increase trust and legitimacy” and to assist community members with issues they are facing.

Along with the monthly report, a five-year comparison of call numbers was included. In 2016, the Mattawa Police Department had 688 calls for service. That number increased to 794 calls in 2017. In 2018, the department had 816 calls for service, while having 842 calls for service in 2019. The number of calls increased again in 2020, totaling 937.

According to the report, the increase doesn’t mean there was more criminal activity, but the Mattawa Police Department is being proactive, creating positive encounters with residents. The report also attributed some of the increased calls to an increase in the number of officers in the city. Between 2016 and 2019, the number of officers employed by the city fluctuated between three and five officers. In 2020, with an increase of funding from a contract with the Wahluke School District for SRO (school resource officer) services and a county-wide tax for law enforcement services, the department was able to hire additional officers, raising the total to eight. The department hopes to hire two more officers and make officers available 24 hours a day.

When asked for further information about the numbers presented in the report, Mattawa Police Chief Joe Harris said he would be happy to talk to the Columbia Basin Herald, but was unable due to a recent policy change in which the mayor of Mattawa is the only person authorized to talk to the press. When asked for an interview, Mayor Maggie Celaya declined, stating information could be obtained through public records requests and city council meetings.