3:08 PM: We’re at Alki, just east of the Bathhouse, with Mayor McGinn, Capt. Steve Paulsen, Lt. Pierre Davis, and Lt. Ron Smith, as the mayor and captain lead the last of five briefings around the city on summertime policing “hot spots.” … The mayor says, “The big story here is that this precinct is the lowest crime rate of any precinct in the city .. the majority of crimes are property crimes … burglary is down 21 percent over 2011 …” and auto theft/prowling is down too, as are other types of major crimes, he says. Capt. Paulsen starts his remarks by saying that West Seattle is successful because of “relationships with the community. … It’s all about relationships and partnerships.” He notes that the summer months are big on Alki and that’s why police are there. We asked if anyone was ever arrested in connection with the Whale Tail Park gunfire incident; the captain says the Gang Unit continues to investigate, but no arrests so far. He reiterates that West Seattle/South Park have had a double-digit decrease in property crimes, “and we’ve been enjoying significant declines over other parts of the city …” He attributes that to the partnership, with eagle-eyed neighbors reporting what they see … also, “we are putting the right people in the right places at the right time.”
3:16 PM UPDATE: The briefing is over after just seven minutes. No revelations. One person from regional media is asking the mayor about the Department of Justice situation, off to the side. He had mentioned at the beginning that he had toured the precinct earlier with Capt. Paulsen, as well as touring High Point. We have the brief briefing all on video and will add it here when back at HQ.
5:49 PM: And there’s the video in its entirety, unedited.
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