▁most ▁pro l ific ▁serial ▁k iller , ▁Robert ▁Lee ▁Y ates , ▁who ▁killed ▁th ir teen ▁prost it utes ▁in ▁Sp ok ane ' s ▁East ▁Sp rag ue ▁red ▁light ▁district ▁and ▁conf essed ▁to ▁two ▁others ▁in ▁Ta com a , ▁Washington . ▁The ▁transition ▁of ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁Police ▁Department ▁to ▁a ▁community - pol icing ▁prec inct ▁model ▁has ▁helped ▁cur b ▁crime ▁rates ▁since ▁its ▁introduction ▁dow nt own , ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁expanded ▁city wide . ▁The ▁crime ▁wo es ▁are ▁possibly ▁due ▁in ▁part ▁to ▁an ▁im bal ance ▁that ▁Sp ok ane ▁County ▁pr isons ▁receive ▁of ▁pre - release ▁and ▁work - release ▁prisoners ; ▁An ▁investigation ▁by ▁the ▁Ta com a ▁News ▁Trib une ▁found ▁that ▁while ▁Sp ok ane ▁County ▁accounts ▁for ▁ 6 . 2 1 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁in m ates ▁in ▁state ▁pr isons , ▁it ▁receives ▁a ▁dis pro port ion ate ▁ 1 6 . 7 3 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁in mate ▁population ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁into ▁the ▁general ▁population . ▁ ▁Sp ok ane ▁and ▁the ▁Sp ok ane ▁Police ▁Department ▁have ▁received ▁national ▁public ity ▁and ▁scr ut iny ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 0 s ▁due ▁to ▁many ▁officer - in vol ved ▁shoot ings ▁and ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁excess ive ▁force . ▁The ▁most ▁high - profile ▁of ▁these ▁inc idents ▁was ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁death ▁of ▁Otto ▁Ze