West Seattle safety: High Point concerns to be discussed Monday

| High Point | Safety | West Seattle news

In addition to peninsula-wide groups such as the West Seattle Crime Prevention Council and West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network, individual neighborhoods’ councils and associations are tackling crime and safety concerns too. That’s why the High Point Neighborhood Association is inviting area residents to a meeting next Monday that HPNA vice president Deborah Vandermar says will include:

Senior SHA Property Management staff, members of the High Point HOA Board, Trustees from the High Point Neighborhood Association, High Point Community Police Team Officer Kevin McDaniel, and SPD Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon

The meeting is set for 6:30 pm Monday (July 8th) at Neighborhood House‘s High Point Center, 6400 Sylvan Way SW.

Saxon8 July 4, 2013 (6:31 am)

What’s going on at Highpoint lately? What’s the safety concern?

AIDM July 4, 2013 (10:12 am)

Ditto Saxon8… What is the safety concern that was referenced in Deborah’s letter to the neighborhood? Is this a general safety meeting or a response to a specific incident?

Eric July 4, 2013 (12:47 pm)

Someone mentioned on another blog not too long ago about there seeming to be a group of youth wearing all red hanging out at the convenience store on 35th and Morgan lately. That might be one of the concern

RPH July 4, 2013 (1:12 pm)

Petty nuisances should not be conflated into safety issues. No specific incidents have been reported – the High Point office has generalized it as, ” Residents have observed individuals sporting gang colors, large groups of teens drinking and fighting, drug transactions and heard gun shots.”
Kids will be kids, hanging out together, wearing hip hop clothes, acting tough, talking with the same obscenity that has demonized Paula Deen. I’ve lived in High Point for six years and have never stopped hearing that when teens, specifically black males, are talking to each other, it’s a drug deal. There are far more crime riddled areas throughout Seattle. I have never heard a gunshot here, and how many people could differentiate between the sound of a gunshot and a firecracker? High Point’s utopic vision will always be challenged by the real world.

HP July 4, 2013 (2:50 pm)

I’m more concerned about raccoons and coyotes than guns and gangs. It’s 4th of July and, well, firecrackers sometimes sound like guns. Let’s start a roving raccoon patrol!

West Seattle Hipster July 4, 2013 (9:54 pm)

I am much more concerned about guns and gangs than animals.

HP Res July 5, 2013 (7:53 am)

RPH: Thank you, thank you, thank you… When I received the letter from HP, my husband and I were confused. We don’t have any issues w/HP and in fact, love raising our children here. It’s a great place and when I see a young group of teens hanging out at night (which doesn’t happen very often) all I think of is the days when I used to do that way back when…

Nick July 5, 2013 (8:43 am)

There have been numerous fights at Bataan park between groups of drunken kids that exhibit signs of being a gang. Many of these fights have woke up my wife and I. There is a definite problem in high point.

RPH July 5, 2013 (11:07 am)

@Nick – I was awakened yesterday morning before 5AM by loud voices in the alley behind my house. I got dressed and went out to investigate and watched as the four teens, three males and one female, continued their annoying blather further down the alley. It appeared that one was arguing with the girl, while the other two were playfully sparring, which could be seen as fighting. To assume that they were drunk or in a gang (as their fashion might indicate) is beside the point. Eventually they dissipated and moved on. They were definitely an obnoxious and annoying nuisance, disturbing the peace, but “safety” was not the issue. There are definite problems everywhere today in our disrespectful culture, but you can’t fix “stupid”.
When we got home last night, there were two raccoons in our alley, yet another nuisance. Never a dull moment in High Point!

HP Res July 5, 2013 (12:30 pm)

Sorry, to hear that Nick. Well, I’m glad the problem is getting the attention is deserves then.

trickycoolj July 5, 2013 (1:06 pm)

There have been many violent fights in Bataan Park the last few weeks at night, so if you don’t live on the Bataan side of the neighborhood where the new Polygon construction is occurring you may not realize what has been going on. There was also a shooting a few nights ago where the wounded individual showed up in an Auburn hospital the next day (read the police blotter report linked on the blog last week). From Bataan to Morgan street we all heard the gunshots at 1am. I have had 2 or 3 fights occur in my alley that I have watched people thrown on the ground and knives pulled just as SPD pulled up. We’ve all been calling the police and thankfully they have been responding in increasing numbers (5 squad cars to break up a fight earlier this week and they followed the participants to figure out where they live). SHA has reduced their security patrols significantly this summer compared to the past and there is a perception that SHA isn’t handling the increasing problems. As a homeowner it really concerns me whether or not this is going to be a downward spiral or if it’s going to be addressed among the SHA population. The past year that I’ve lived in the neighborhood has been mostly peaceful (except that dreadful ice cream song) so I hope SHA starts to get to the bottom of what is causing the sudden influx of people coming to the neighborhood and causing trouble.

RPH July 5, 2013 (3:55 pm)

Thanks, tricky, for what was danced around by SHA, the Police, and the HOA, trying to “keep High Point safe” by keeping us uninformed, making the facts more gut-wrenching to know. Sorry to hear now about that location’s predicament. I hope it gets nipped in the bud directly.

WSB July 5, 2013 (3:57 pm)

I’ll reiterate that the Neighborhood Association was trying to get word of this meeting out to as many people as possible – I happened onto it on another neighborhood’s mailing list; we used to be on the HPNA list and somehow fell off – so if whatever is or isn’t going on is of concern, they’re hoping you will turn out for it on Monday. – TR

RPH July 5, 2013 (5:06 pm)

Thanks, Tracy,
Once again I’ve been first informed through the West Seattle Blog.

HP Homeowner July 8, 2013 (12:40 pm)

At anyone who seems to think the concerns are petty or that raccoons or coyotes are more of an issue: you clearly live in a safer part of the neighborhood. I’m afraid to go outside at night. The drug deals I see are not teens, they are adults. The fights I hear are not bickering but physical assaults and the gunshot are real. The children and teens have grown up from when HP was first built. This neighborhood has changed even in the past year and its quite a problem that other parts of the neighborhood have no idea what’s going on in the newer section.

HPNeighbor July 8, 2013 (2:30 pm)

I live in the community and serve in a Law Enforcement capacity so I know what I am seeing isn’t kids being kids or people being people (bulls–t). I have witnessed NUMEROUS drug buys and hand offs close to my home and in the alley behind our house at many times of the evening when walking my dog. Sometimes walking next to the car as the deal went down. The majority or the time the occupants had no care in the world I was witnessing what was going on. I have also seen many drunken people wandering through the neighborhood, and people openly smoking pot, and seen people peeing in public. My wife’s car was punched by a bystander (while going to the store with my one year old son) while waiting at a light at 35th and Morgan…for no reason. Not all of the occurrences have been teens but they are definitely the majority offending age group and the majority are male and in their early 20s. This isn’t “kids being kids”, or “people being people” type of hanging out. They should go blow off steam or hangout at their own or parent’s house (which is legal). The parks aren’t an area for people to hangout after dark. Its upkeep is paid for by the HOA, it is surrounded by families, and is illegal to be in after dusk. Kids (young adults) imitate and identify with what they see in their environment. Fighting, doing drugs, and being hooligans are not what Highpoint is about….unless it allowed to happen (HELLO PARENTS). If we don’t stand up for and to effectively change our neighborhood we will be back where it was in the 80s…..a place that you rolled up your windows and drove through quickly, sad. The SHA apartments and South Seattle Market need to go…They are CANCEROUS.

BearMom July 9, 2013 (12:05 am)

Yup, while sitting in my car at the intersection of 35th and Morgan (with my infant in the car), an early 20s/late teens-ish person approached my vehicle. Stopped next to my window, then walked to the front of my car, raised his fist, screamed at the top of his lungs no intelligible words, only a rage-filled scream and then punched my car on the hood. I was very concerned and furious until I realized he probably broke his hand on my hood and then I felt much better. He was in all Red and his “buddies” were chuckling at the bus stop. Wish I were making it up!

WSB July 9, 2013 (12:23 am)

We covered tonight’s meeting. No dramatic revelations or declarations but we’ll be writing it up.

BearMom July 9, 2013 (12:07 am)

To TrickyCoolJ- HAHA the dreadful ice cream song. A resident on our block read the guy the riot act last summer and he turns his music off when he drives by our block…it’s pretty funny but OMG that is BAD isn’t it?

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