SPOKANE – The Spokane City Council voted unanimously Monday night to hire Frank Straub as the new Director of Law Enforcement. He’ll start work in Spokane next Month. On Tuesday Straub sat down with KREM 2 News to talk about his plans for the Spokane Police Department.
Frank Straub comes to Spokane with 28 years of law enforcement experience. He says he’s ready to hit the ground running.
“My goal is to make us not only the best in the Northwest, but to make us the best mid-side police department in the country,” said Straub.
He also says he believes the Spokane Police Department has the caliber of men and women to be the best.
During an interview on Tuesday, Straub was asked about the possibility of combining the Police Department and the Sheriff’s Office. He didn’t count the idea out, but he said for now his focus is working together with the county.
“How do we come together, now do we find points of collaboration and cooperation to deliver the best policing services to the city and county and to adjoining communities,” he asked.
Straub can’t be named Police Chief until he meets some state law enforcement requirements. On Wednesday he’ll go to Burien, Washington to get that process started. Straub must either attend a 720 hour police academy or get a waiver from the State Training Commission. Straub says he is confident the waiver will be approved.
Straub is likely to take over his new role the first of October. He says over the next few weeks he will be traveling back to Indianapolis, packing up, and then driving back to Spokane.
