Highland Park Action Committee: Crime; camp; Find It, Fix It followup…

April 1, 2018 7:02 pm
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 |   Highland Park | Neighborhoods

Toplines from the monthly Highland Park Action Committee meeting, last Wednesday night at Highland Park Improvement Club:

CRIME-TRENDS UPDATE: First up, Southwest Precinct Operations Lt. Ron Smith, with updates on Highland Park trends.

Burglaries are up, year to date, from last year – 10 reported through mid-March in 2017, 21 this year. The precinct will be talking with Assistant Chief Steve Wilske soon about adding emphasis patrols to address this trend. One positive trend in southeastern West Seattle – crime in the Westwood Village area is down 30 percent from a year earlier. Lt. Smith says business owners at the shopping center are working with officers and that’s helped bring the decrease. They’re still working on reducing liquor shoplifting.

CAMP SECOND CHANCE RENEWAL COMMENTS: Picking up from the comments he delivered at the recent community meeting about city extension of Camp Second Chance‘s permit, new HPAC co-chair Charlie Omana reiterated that Highland Park and vicinity have had their share of encampment-hosting (dating back a decade now to the original “Nickelsville” just east of the Highland Park Way hill) and that it’s time for other neighborhoods to step up. He’s reviewing the letters that HPAC has sent to the city regarding camping in the area as well as policing and cleanup on the east side of Myers Way, outside the sanctioned encampment on the west side. (Comments on the proposed one-year extension of Camp Second Chance’s permit are due by Thursday, April 5th; you can e-mail homelessness@seattle.gov – include “Myers Way” in the subject line.)

FIND IT, FIX IT FOLLOWUP: The last major item of the night was a review of what’s happened since last year’s Find It, Fix It Walk.

(WSB photo from May 2017 Find It, Fix It Walk in Highland Park)

While HPAC members acknowledged progress had been made on some trouble spots, some questions remain, including improving Metro bus service to the area, and maintenance of some trails in Riverview Park. HPAC will stay vigilant in following up with the city and discussing at future meetings.

Highland Park Action Committee meets fourth Wednesdays most months, 7 pm at HP Improvement Club. Watch hpacws.org for updates between meetings.

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