Robert Spinks

Robert Spinks started his career in 1981 with the Eugene, Oregon, Police Department and later served at the Port of Seattle Police Department. He has been the chief of police in Sedro-Woolley, Washington; Milton-Freewater, Oregon; Sequim, Washington; McNeese State University; and is currently the chief in Parsons, Kansas. He is an instructor and adjunct faculty at the University of Arizona Global Campus and Labette Community College. Community policing information can be downloaded from www.parsonspd.com.

Enforcing little laws prevents big crimes

September 13, 2021

Crime prevention, deterrence and displacement sound like great theories in a college class. How can patrol officers and deputies turn those theories into something useful? When you talk crime prevention, most officers don’t […] Read More

School resource officer programs

Path to arrests or reform?

August 18, 2021

Prior to the 1950s, the concept of a school resource officer (SRO) was not widely heard of. Most educational interactions between schools and local law enforcement were done on an informal basis and […] Read More

You are the police department

August 1, 2021

Across the nation, law enforcement officers are being challenged. Use of force is a national hot button, along with perceptions of systemic racism and civil protest. Local, state and federal lawmakers are tackling […] Read More

Community-oriented policing: still relevant?

June 15, 2021

Community policing is not dead. Community-oriented policing and problem solving (COPPS) can be alive and well, but needs a reboot to be successful in today’s environment. It requires a commitment at the management […] Read More