King County budget crisis: Sheriff saves White Center storefront

On partner site White Center Now, we have posted the first part of our story about tonight’s public-safety-budget “town hall” meeting at Steve Cox Memorial Park, and will continue to add to it. For starters, we have video of Sheriff Sue Rahr explaining why she has decided not to close her department’s White Center storefront. She was joined at the meeting by (left to right after the sheriff) Superior Court Presiding Judge Bruce Hilyer, West Seattle-residing District Court Chief Presiding Judge Barbara Linde, and Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, all of whom detailed potential cuts that would affect city residents as well as the unincorporated-area residents who made up most of tonight’s audience.

Rick October 29, 2008 (11:46 pm)

We all have to deal with budget cuts. Suzie’s girl scout uniform. Mom’s latte on the way to work. Dad’s power tool (for the yard work, of course) but this crying wolf everytime money comes up is weak.We all want more money. Fear. Loathing. (Thank you Hunter S) or maybe the fact that I’m currently re-reading 1984 renders me , well rendered. COPS!!!,FIRE!!!,EMT!!! cuts coming soon to a neighborhood near you! These are services paid for by our taxes. Yeah, I want them there, but are we going country club or what? C’mon people,these are basic services paid by existing taxes. I better be quiet now.

JimmyG October 30, 2008 (8:15 am)

Saving the storefront in White Center is not going to make anyone in the neighborhood safer, it’s a feel-good band-aid for the area.

Put it this way: would you rather have one more cop assigned to responding to your 911 calls, or a storefront where you can go M-F 9-5 to talk to a non-commissioned community service officer?

I’ll take a cop out answering calls over a storefront that does nothing to quell or deter crime.

KatherineL October 30, 2008 (10:23 am)

JimmyG, how do you know it doesn’t deter crime? How do you know what doesn’t happen?

d October 30, 2008 (11:12 am)

Took the words right out of my mouth KatherineL.

JimmyG October 30, 2008 (2:18 pm)

A storefront that is closed 16 out of 24 hours a day and which isn’t staffed by a cop does nothing to deter crime.
It is a waste of money when the county is laying off cops (and other jobs) to pay rent, electricity, water etc. to have a storefront that is only used for less than 8 hours a day.

My original question stands: do you want a cop that can respond to your 911 call when you or a loved one is in danger, or do you want that money to go to the storefront which isn’t even staffed by a cop and is only open 8 hours a day?

You don’t get any more pro-law enforcement than me. But a storefront not staffed by a cop, and not open for more than part of the day doesn’t deter crime, and I beg you to find me any serious criminal justice studies that say otherwise.

The storefronts came into being as a part of community policing when it was the latest fad in policing. I believe in the principles of community policing, but you don’t do it from a storefront, you do it by being out in the community, working with the businesses and residents in the area.

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