Thanksgiving Day Shooting Suspect Arrested - 12/03/13
On December 3, around 2:30 p.m., Longview Police detectives arrested a 16 year old Longview male for the shooting that occurred during the early morning hours on November 28. The 16 year old male's name was obtained early in the investigation, but it took detectives a few days to develop enough information to make an arrest. Attempts to locate the suspect had been unsuccessful until December 3 when detectives from the Criminal Investigation Unit and Street Crimes Unit began surveillance on locations the suspect was known to frequent. Detectives observed the suspect leaving in a vehicle from a residence in Kelso. The occupants of the vehicle were contacted a few blocks away by detectives and Kelso Police patrol officers. The suspect was taken into custody without incident. The suspect was transported to the Juvenile Detention Facility where he was booked on charges of 1st Degree Assault and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

The firearm used in the shooting has not been located. Anyone with information regarding the location of the gun or that witnessed the shooting are asked to contact Longview Police Detective Steve Dennis at 360-442-5800.

Longview Fire Marshal Jim Kambeitz Named to State's Top Position - 11/07/13
On Wednesday October 23rd the City of Longview Fire Marshal Jim Kambeitz was elected and sworn into office as the President of the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals [WSAFM]. The ceremony occurred at the 2013 Washington State Fire Prevention Institute in Lake Chelan.
The Washington State Association of Fire Marshals is an organization whose mission is to provide support and coordination on National and State Fire and Life Safety Codes and Standards, Statewide Legislative Issues, Professional Development, Communications, Fire Marshals Forum, and Fire Investigation. The association is comprised of a President who serves a two-year term, President Elect, eight (8) Executive Board Members, Past President, and Ex Officio.
Fire Marshal Kambeitz has most recently served as President Elect and as an Executive Board Member for the past five years. Kambeitz shares "I'm honored to be able to continue to serve the Washington State Association of Fire Marshals. Our goal is to be the leaders in our state's fire and life safety prevention efforts".
Jim Kambeitz has been in the fire service since 1987 where he has served as a firefighter, Haz-mat Tech, Fire Inspector, Deputy Fire Marshal and Fire Marshal. He has been the City of Longview Fire Marshal for over 10 years. He is a certified Fire Inspector, Building Inspector, Plans Examiner and Fire Investigator. He has an AAS Degree in Fire Science and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Service Administration. He's a member of ICC, WABO, NFPA, NAFI, IAAI, WFC, and WSAFM. Jim lives in Woodland with his wife Tara and their 5 year old daughter Kennedy.

Bank robbery suspect sought - 11/07/13
On November 6, 2013, at about 1331 hours Longview Police responded to a bank robbery at Chase Bank, 200 Triangle Center in Longview. The suspect entered the bank, demanded money, and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect was described as a white male, 5'10" - 6'00" tall, thin build, with brown hair, brown eyes, and facial hair. The suspect was wearing a light green or tan baseball style hat with lettering on it.

If you have any information regarding this crime please contact Det. Steve Dennis at 360-442-5800.

Longview School Zone Photo Enforcement Program to expand to Mark Morris High School - 11/07/13
In April 2013, the Longview City Council authorized expansion of the school zone photo enforcement program to include five new schools. Implementation of two of the schools (Northlake Elementary and Mark Morris High School) were put on hold as the City awaited more information from the Longview School District regarding potential school closures. The Longview School Board had planned to make a decision on school closures in August 2013, however over the summer, the school board decided to take additional time prior to making decisions on school closures. As a result of that delay, the City decided to move forward with the implementation of the Mark Morris High School speed zone photo enforcement installation. Camera installation is currently in process. A start date for the warning period has not yet been determined and is subject to the installation process. Cameras could be operational as early as December 2013. Drivers exceeding the speed limit in the new school zones will receive a warning for 30 days after the cameras are made operational.

The new locations were chosen based on speed data collected in school zones as well as input from the Longview School District. The high volume of speeding vehicles in the Mark Morris school zone coupled with the number of pedestrians crossing 15th Avenue made this program a high priority for the police department.

In the month of October 2013, Longview Police Department issued photo enforcement speed violation warnings or tickets in school zones as follows:
Mint Valley Elementary - 107 tickets
CVG Elementary - 73 tickets
St. Helen's Elementary - 353 warnings and tickets (tickets issued beginning 10/21/13)
Olympic Elementary - 127 warnings and tickets (tickets issued beginning 10/9/13)
Kessler Elementary - 171 warnings and tickets (tickets issued beginning 10/9/13)

A 2012 report on the photo enforcement program is available on the police department's website at www.mylongview.com/police.

For questions about the photo enforcement program, call Longview Police Department at 360.442.5800. Photo enforcement tickets can be paid on-line at www.violationinfo.com.