VIDEO: 1st West Seattle ‘community conversation’ with Police Chief O’Toole cut short after shoutdown

(From left, Pete Spalding of the SW Precinct Advisory Council; Chief Kathleen O’Toole; Capt. Steve Wilske; Deb Greer of the WS Block Watch Captains’ Network)

7:44 PM: Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole‘s first “community conversation” in West Seattle was cut short after a woman concerned about police-brutality shouted down the chief and others before the meeting was an hour old.

Those who had come to hear Chief O’Toole talk about West Seattle community crime issues tried in turn to get the protester to stop so they could ask their questions, but after a few minutes of semi-chaos, host Pete Spalding announced the meeting was over. Some community members moved ahead to the front of the room to try to get the chief to answer their questions in a one-on-one type of situation, which continued for at least 15 minutes after the meeting’s official end, and is continuing even as we publish the first version of this.

We’ll add video of the truncated meeting a bit later. (9:54 PM: Here’s the link; 10:12 PM, it’s embedded below – note that our camera was fixed/pointed to the front of the room, so the shouting is off-camera:)

Below, our notes as it unfolded.

The conversation was emceed by Pete Spalding, from the co-sponsoring Southwest Precinct Advisory Council. Deb Greer and Karen Berge from the other co-sponsoring group, the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network, spoke as well.

Chief O’Toole began by saying she didn’t want to dictate the community-policing agenda, but acknowledged that each neighborhood has a unique set of concerns – some about car prowls, some about low-level drug dealing, “unique issues facing each neighborhood … We’re gonna fight Part 1 crime across the city but at the same time we want to work with the individual neighborhoods and fight out what their concerns are.” She said SW Precinct commander Capt. Steve Wilske was the first one to seek community feedback and show up “with a binder with the first draft of their community-policing plans” while other precincts were still saying “you want us to do WHAT?”

She then moved on to mention the federal consent decree. “It’s really important work – we need to not only tick the boxes … we need to recognize the true spirit of this consent degree.” She said the monitor – a role she filled in a Connecticut city – was recognizing their progress in the most recent report.

She mentioned the every-two-weeks SeaStat briefings focused on crime hotspots and other trends, and declared that it was making progress against some categories of crime. She then addressed some issues in other parts of the city, including so-called “downtown disorder,” and explained how she had been working on “prevention and intervention” with some of the people causing trouble. She said there’ll be a summit this weekend.

“That’s downtown, this is West Seattle,” she finally said. “I want to hear more about the challenges you’re facing here” – including, she said, the “robberies of school-aged children,” to which she acknowledged the precinct has assigned extra resources. “The only way we can address your concerns is to engage.”

Questions had been solicited in writing and the first one read by Spalding involved asking the chief to elaborate on what’s being done regarding the string of robberies. Capt. Wilske asked if he could answer. “This is now the highest priority of anything I’m doing … I get a phone call 24 hours a day if we have any specific updates or if anything occurs.” He said officers are assigned specifically to focus on this, particularly before and after school. Regarding the problem stairwells, he said an additional “problem stairwell” – Delridge and Holden – will have brush cut back by Friday. He also mentioned the safety presentation that Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon gave at last week’s WS Blockwatch Captains Network meeting (WSB coverage here) and said that he will arrange for that to happen at any group that needs it.

Capt. Wilske also stressed – if anything happens, report it as soon as possible. “One of the other things we’re looking at doing … we’re exchanging information with the King County Sheriff,” in case the “same people who are doing the robberies on our kids are doing them in the county. I’ve got young kids too, this is the highest priority I have.”

Chief O’Toole picked up from there: “This is where our analytics come in.” She mentioned how they broke down a series of robberies in the South End, “and within a month we had like a 39 percent decrease in robberies there. These strategies do work. Best case – we will find out who is doing this.”

Second question was about turnover in the precincts, and what’s being done to slow that rate. “To be honest with you, the command staff at headquarters needs more continuity too.” She said that she had decided to bring in more people but also to learn more about the strengths of those she already has. She mentioned asking the assistant chiefs to reapply for their jobs, “to get the best possible command team in place.” As for the SW Precinct, she said she had only heard positive things so far, but did not specifically declare that no changes would be ahead. She said she’ll “have a new command team in place in the next month … and we’ll work on the precincts from there.”

Next question: Getting police training and help in dealing with people who are caught up in mental illness challenges. Chief O’Toole mentioned the Crisis Intervention training that officers are getting, and said she had gone to a facility in Burien and sat through it herself: “I can’t believe how much I learned in those 8 hours,” including de-escalation vs. escalation, with mental-health professionals leading the training. There’s also a 40-hour “level two” course that some officers are going to, and yet another one for supervisors. And she mentioned a newly established multidisciplinary Crisis Intervention Committee that reaches into departments beyond just SPD. She said more resources are needed for crisis intervention – three teams are assigned right now and they expect 6,000 contacts this year.

A woman interrupted from the corner of the room at that point, listing people who she said had been killed in interactions with police. “I’m not going to listen to this because this is all lies … the problem is that the police are brutalizers.” Other voices rose in support of what she was saying.

“How long has (the chief) been in place?” asked a man from the third row, suggesting the protesters should give her a chance.

And that’s when it started to devolve into some chaos. But within a few minutes, the crowd quieted, and Spalding read a question about trouble at 35th/Morgan. Capt. Wilske discussed what he had brought up at a recent community meeting, the neighborhood plan he is working on with High Point residents.

One man then shouted that he thought something was going to happen at that corner tonight because people were standing around smoking marijuana.

“Weed is legal in Seattle!” someone shouted from the center of the room.

That exchange settled down within a moment or two and a question was read about car prowls at Lincoln Park. While they are trying to catch prowlers, there’s also practical advice: “Don’t leave anything in your car,” Capt. Wilske urged.

Next question – does the Southwest Precinct have a communication liaison for the Somali community? The question didn’t get a specific answer, but Chief O’Toole replied, “We’re in the process of hiring an East African liaison for the Police Department,” and noted SPD had received more than 200 applications. “…I think we need to spend time thinking about more services for our kids in the community” – “prevention and intervention,” she said again.

That brought another shouted question from an audience member – “then why are you building a new jail?” It was clear momentarily that he was speaking about the new youth detention center. Again, other audience members tried to tell the shouter that they were here to listen to the chief. “From your position of privilege,” he retorted.

Chief O’Toole calmly went on to say that she hoped to work with youth to keep them out of trouble.

Next question: Any plans for walking patrols in West Seattle? She answered in general that she hoped to have more citywide, and also hoped to scientifically evaluate where they would be needed. Capt. Wilske added that he has two full-time bicycle officers and hopes to expand that “both days and nights before summer.”

The woman from the corner then started to shout again, bringing up Tamir Rice and then the case of SPD Officer Larry Longley. “I’m situating this meeting and this is what the police are doing – every 28 hours another black man is murdered by police.” She said that there would be a demonstration on April 14th – “a national shutdown. … We are here to put the West Seattle Police on notice. … Black lives matter! Latino lives matter!”

“Have we said anything tonight to disagree with that?” Spalding tried to say from the front.

“We’re trying to find out about a block watch,” someone shouted from the center of the room.

The woman in the corner of the room wouldn’t stop shouting. So finally Spalding called the meeting to an end; at least two dozen attendees crowded the front of the room in hopes of still getting a moment or two of the chief’s time, and she stayed for more than 15 minutes to do that.

ADDED 8:14 PM: We also had the chance to speak with the chief for a few moments afterward. She said she would try to get back to West Seattle for another community meeting sooner rather than later and also said she would provide written replies to questions that had been submitted but weren’t asked, so the answers can be published.

84 Replies to "VIDEO: 1st West Seattle 'community conversation' with Police Chief O'Toole cut short after shoutdown"

  • kg February 3, 2015 (8:08 pm)

    All lives matter.

  • Paul February 3, 2015 (8:19 pm)

    Sigh. The behavior of select neighbors is embarrassing. Thanks for listening Kathleen!

  • Sandy Adams February 3, 2015 (8:20 pm)

    This was truly a shameful turn of events. Those doing the shouting were not from West Seattle and had no interest in the purpose of the meeting. There must be some way to control this type of behavior so that those really trying to have a meaningful dialog with our new police chief can do so. It is my understanding from talking to one of the officers following the aborted meeting that this is a group that follows the Chief around from meeting to meeting with only disruption as their goal. They won tonight.

  • The Seattle Way February 3, 2015 (8:22 pm)

    It would have been nice to hear what the Chief had to say, but I guess self-aggrandizing is more important.

  • JimmyG February 3, 2015 (8:32 pm)

    Way to keep it classy West Seattle!

  • PC617 February 3, 2015 (8:34 pm)

    Meanwhile a homicide is committed @7:00 pm on 3400 block of 38th. Stay focused, neighbors–one problem at a time. If the protestors are regulars, perhaps the Police can arrange for them to have their own private meeting?

    • WSB February 3, 2015 (9:44 pm)

      To PC617 – After figuring out what you were talking about – an icon on the 911 Incident Response map – I checked with police. It made no sense because there were no medical callouts, no reports of a big police presence, etc. Here’s what I found out: As has happened at least one time before, the icon is NOT because there was an actual new homicide case, but because police were contacted by someone who claimed to have information on some old homicide case. Don’t know which one, but you can be reassured, no homicides here tonight. – TR

  • Someguy February 3, 2015 (8:39 pm)

    Well that’s just great… The agenda of one overly vocal person overrides everything else and means everyone who showed up didn’t get to listen/participate and essentially wasted their time. Wonderful.

  • G February 3, 2015 (8:45 pm)

    Yes, all lives matter. And that includes the kids who are getting robbed, those who are victimized and terrorized when their houses are broken into, those whose livelihoods are jeopardized by car thefts, and the rest of us.

  • Ray February 3, 2015 (8:58 pm)

    Disappointing these selfish $@#^&$ are so willing to deprive the rest of us from obtaining information and interacting with our elected officials.

    These are the same selfish idiots who have no problem shutting down downtown streets during rush hour inconveniencing us as well.

  • Beth February 3, 2015 (9:01 pm)

    I first want to apologize to OUR Chief of Police for the moronic, immature and disrespectful actions of others at this meeting.

    I am so sick and tired of remonstrating behavior of people with no community affiliation nor willingness to be “makers”. You people spew your BS for one thing and one thing only–attention–and it’s getting OLD. That idiot will never have gotten her point across in the manner in which she chose to communicate her agenda. Good-on the Pete for shutting the whole thing down. NOTHING productive will EVER come from yelling and screaming at those in a position to truly effect change.

    You should recount the old adage before you venture outside of your cave: “Tis best to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt.”

    Chief O’Toole, please come back. We promise the adults with class will be there and will be prepared to communicate appropriately.

  • Mike February 3, 2015 (9:03 pm)

    Isn’t that disturbing the peace? Would that not be a misdemeanor, ~$400 fine and 90 days in jail? I think it’s time to start enforcing laws at these events. You want to peacefully protest, that’s your right, you want to disturb the peace…you broke the law. Don’t like it, push initiatives through to change the laws.
    .
    “All lives matter”, yup, especially the kids that are being robbed and beat up by young adults and teens of all races.

  • Jim Guenther February 3, 2015 (9:36 pm)

    I thank those that hosted this meeting,the police chief and the police for attending the meeting. I am extremely disturbed by the fact that a disorderly, disrespectful minority can over rule the majority.I feel some plan of action should have been in place because this has happened at other meetings. In reality the minority and disorderly prevailed. A sad statement for the citizens who came to learn and hear the chief. What I saw was mob rule with a feeble attempt to control the out bursts. There was no gavel available to draw attention to order. Anarchy behavior must be addressed by law enforcement or there is going to be withdrawal of citizens in participation and civil disorder will prevail.I am very disappointed and angry that such behavior was successful.

  • ChefJoe February 3, 2015 (9:55 pm)

    Was it this same group ? I tried watching the footage online and, even with the microphones piped directly into the recording, it was difficult to hear what was being discussed.
    http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/01/12/seattle-police-ferguson-protest-chief-kathleen-otoole/21672209/

  • Darryll February 3, 2015 (10:11 pm)

    I spoke to several of the protesters after they hijacked our forum tonight. They are not from West Seattle and would not identify any organization that they are part of. They seemed to rely on simple sound bites to justify their behavior. Not one of them could list a single personal accomplishment that has made a real positive difference in peoples’ lives.

    One of the group introduced herself and said that they did this because the agenda was not on point. I explained that the agenda was to discuss how SPD is addressing real crime impacting our community, and that most of the people in the room would probably agree with their basic point that all lives matter. In fact, that is why most of us come to these meetings! She asked me “What have you done to make things better?” I let her know that I am a blockwatch captain, a PTA member, a home owner in one of the most diverse areas of Seattle (where there have been murders, rapes and robberies in the past year), a parent, and a volunter in multiple other community groups in West Seattle.

    These bating and bullying tactics are not effective. In case you’re not clear on how democracy really works, let me explain a few things for you.

    1. We have to pay taxes to fund services like police and schools. Everyone has to eat, and voting and policy are how things really change.

    2. If you don’t see the connection between the police funding issue and the reactionary tactics that lead to these bad outcomes, then you probably haven’t ever had a demanding job. Try to spend some time watching someone else work really hard for a long time in a stressful job so you can understand what that can do to a person.

    3. If you don’t vote selfessly for policies that build the world that you want, then you are the problem. Blaming the grown ups without providing any practical solutions of your own will not change that equation. Throwing rocks is easy, but doesn’t ever fix anything.

    4. Protest shines a light on the issue. Once you have peoples’ attention (this happened about 2 years ago in Seattle – hence, the new chief), then the real work of grass roots building and legislation can start in earnest. So, when you’re disrupting the grassroots efforts like you did tonight, you’ve actually missed the boat and may be making real change take even longer. The argument you’re trying to make is one at the state and federal level, not the grassroots level in West Seattle. We got this.

    5. The people from the WSEA community who came to this meeting tonight are the ones who are showing up to make real change in day to day lives. Thanks to your lack of a well-thought strategy, I did not get to challenge the new chief to define her strategy on enforcing quality of life crimes that make building safe and strong communities difficult for actual communities. In this case, I’m talking about the Highland Park / West Seattle commmunity that my son, my wife, my neighbors, and I are all part of.

    6. I will never again take you seriously when you try to sound important.

    OK. Stepping off my soap box.

  • Beth February 3, 2015 (10:44 pm)

    Well said Darryll. Well said.

  • Mark February 3, 2015 (10:50 pm)

    Darryll – +1
    Thank you!

  • PC617 February 3, 2015 (10:56 pm)

    Thank you, TR/WSB! Good to know–appreciate all you do.

    And thx to Darryll and the other neighbors who made a noble attempt to help our Chief understand our tactical level concerns. She’s good…but City successes will be driven by everyone’s ability to influence several echelons below…this is going to take the village. Stay safe everyone.

  • Eganfo February 3, 2015 (11:26 pm)

    Thank you so much Darryl for doing your best to understand why the protestors feel the need to derail our community meeting.

  • seaview February 3, 2015 (11:31 pm)

    So well said, @Darryll. Thank you!

    I have to say I get that it might be delicate because of the optics for SPD to manage the folks who are following the Chief around for the purpose of disruption, but it is disruption of a public meeting by individuals with known intent based on previous experience. You’d think that the minute they start screaming they could be asked to leave if they don’t follow reasonable decorum. Is SPD just caving every time this happens to the Chief at public meetings? If so, what shame. The disruptors need to be held accountable. It’s a disservice to the community and the Chief if SPD doesn’t get a handle on this and manage it better.

  • Carol O. February 3, 2015 (11:35 pm)

    Darryl, your number two rationalization is wrong on so many levels it’s scarey.

  • Darryll February 3, 2015 (11:46 pm)

    Carol O.,

    Please feel free to elaborate! :) What’s your vision for effective funding of public safety and crime prevention?

    Thanks!

    Darryll

  • West Seattle Block Watch Captains' Network February 4, 2015 (12:30 am)

    Hi everyone,

    As co-sponsors of this event, we were frustrated too. These 10+ folks from outside of our community, spread out around the room with the intent to derail this meeting to promote their own agenda. Their leader, who’ll we’ll refer to as “megaphone mouth”, helped the group disrupt the meeting by shouting over everyone that tried to respond.

    FYI, this was a very orchestrated situation. They were filming and snapping photos to promote their own agenda… As we left the venue, we noticed they were doing photo ops with lighting and signage outside the building.

    We’ve (WSBWCN) posted some additional comments to our website (linked above), but the gist is – if this frustrates you as much as it did us, PLEASE help combat them online in all the venues where they are bragging about it. Please call them out for their disrespect to all of us who showed up to ask real questions and listen to the real responses from the Chief and from Captain Wilske.

    Yes, “megaphone mouth” and the other disruptors can shout louder than we could at this meeting, but this was meeting was not intended to be a confrontation but rather a dialog. Their overbearing behavior doesn’t mean that they are right and it doesn’t mean that it will be a cakewalk if they show up in the future to do this again.

    We were heartened that so many participants at the meeting tried to reason with them or shut them down. Thank you all for that!

    Karen & Deb, WSBWCN

  • Alphonse February 4, 2015 (1:06 am)

    I can’t think of any other major city where a couple of social justice warriors who pulled themselves away from Tumblr for an hour would be able to shut down a public event with the police chief. I wholeheartedly agree that black lives matter and I think what is happening in this country in that regard is appalling. But hissy fit activism doesn’t do a damn thing to stop it or win otherwise sympathetic people to your side.

  • Diane February 4, 2015 (2:21 am)

    agree with Jim Guenther; we waited so long for this meeting with our new police chief; and most, from our WS community, were very engaged in the Q/A; it was very upsetting to have this ruined, to have the meeting end abruptly due to loud/rude/disruptive behavior from a few; I asked the Captain why the police did not escort the disruptors out so we could continue our meeting; he said they couldn’t because they hadn’t done anything illegal; there really has got to be a better game plan
    ~
    btw, that woman who was yelling, she has the loudest voice I have ever heard; there was no way to continue the meeting with her in the room yelling

  • Confused February 4, 2015 (6:20 am)

    I really want to understand why nothing was done to remove the chaos? I just don’t get it. Does anyone have insight into the reasoning behind allowing that behavior to shut down a meeting vs shutting down the behavior?

  • Brian February 4, 2015 (6:38 am)

    So I’m sort of confused on a procedural level. If you have someone(s) habitually interrupting a meeting, why wouldn’t you just have them removed from the meeting?
    .
    Is part of their strategy to have enough agent provocateurs in the audience that it’s impossible to regain control of the conversation once they’ve begun their borderline autistic soundbite regimen?
    .
    I suppose a quick solution would be to have them positively identified and barred from future community outreach meetings until they’re able to communicate as rational adults who don’t throw a tantrum in order to have their message heard.

  • phil dirt February 4, 2015 (7:27 am)

    People who disrupt a public community meeting should be immediately removed from the room. They should be reminded that there is a procedure that they must respect if they would like to speak. If they refuse to comply, then they should be removed and, if necessary, arrested for disturbing the peace.

  • Carol O. February 4, 2015 (7:44 am)

    Darryll, sorry about mispelling you name earlier, so I am missing your point here, what does your number 2 statement have to do with effective funding of public safety and crime prevention? Many people work demanding jobs but have a choice in how they react to stress. Would also like to mention that funding with taxes isn’t a automatic cure all, haven’t taxes been funding Seattle schools for years and still the highschool graduation rate is only around seventy percent?

  • Mr Elliott February 4, 2015 (8:36 am)

    1. “Everyone has to eat, and voting and policy are how things really change.” We’ve all experienced first-hand the consequences of policies set by elected officials who ignore their constituents in favor of lobbyists and corporate sponsors. Change is brought about in many ways, be it grassroot efforts or revolution. You cannot assume that you share the same breaking point as others in the community.

    2. By your logic, public education is horribly underfunded and overworked so, we should be empathetic toward teachers who lose their calm and strike a child. Police have little transparency with their communities because accountability is almost nil. Body cameras are not enough for the police: record every bullet used, every gun fired, every private citizen injured or killed. Police need closer scrutiny in regards to mental health. Train, educate, and learn what it means to be racist, sexist, and homophobic and how personal prejudice directly affects and harms communities.

    3. Bringing solutions to light is difficult when an individual doesn’t have the same political influence or monetary funds as a corporation or billionaire. Sometimes a person has to yell in order to be heard.

    4. Maybe it’s best not to assume that a grassroots effort is always inclusive of the entire community?

    5. The protestor who came to the meeting is the one who showed up to make real change in day to day lives beyond you, your son, your wife, and your neighbors. Because the method the protestor chose to use infuriates does not mean there is a lack of thought. Having a new Seattle Police Chief say “I’m sorry” does not undo the damage done by police wrongly targeting Latino men or attacking innocent black men. There is real frustrationand rage being felt, even if your family and neighbors are safe from these -isms. The Chief missed a real opportunity to listen to the protestor and return the room to a state of calm with honest dialog and a commitment to meet with a very frustrated and under-represented part of the Seattle community.

    6. …said the commenter explaining democracy to WSB readers.

  • Carol O. February 4, 2015 (9:01 am)

    Mr Elliot, very perspective. You really nailed it, Bravo.

  • Brian February 4, 2015 (9:03 am)

    @Mr. Elliott: The Chief did miss a real opportunity listen, you’re right. The problem is that there were dozens of people there who were waiting for the appropriate time to speak and that was ruined by another group of people who did not feel like they needed to follow those same rules.

  • B and B February 4, 2015 (9:10 am)

    Well said, Darryll. It was disheartening to have the meeting hijacked by those who chose not to abide by the requirements. If they had issues to be discussed, they could have completed cards like the rest of us had to do.

    The loudmouths were incredibly disrespectful, but I had no problem with other protestors who spoke one-on-one with us after the loud ones broke up the meeting.

    Oh, and protestors taking pictures of our modes of transportation? Really? What was the point of that?

  • Anne February 4, 2015 (9:11 am)

    Mr. Elliott – seems like that’s all the – anyone could do- listen to the protestor- listen- listen – listen. How exactly should the Chief have ” returned the room to calm”. Reading these comments- looks like this was orchestrated in such a way as to make sure all folks could do was listen to their shouting- but not get a chance to speak themselves. Your comment that” the protestor was the one who showed up to make real change in day to day lives” could only be true if that same protestor gave the Chief & others a chance to respond & have a dialogue with said protestor towards making a change.
    Shouting down any/ all conversations moves us nowhere.
    Said the grandmother- explaining common sense to anyone.

  • Disappointed February 4, 2015 (9:30 am)

    So frustrating because people want to be heard but we have to go about it the right way. These meetings are to inform the community and bring us together. The few that choose to make it an open free for all of chaos just set us back even further. We all share different views and have a right to be heard but all that shouting did was silence the other voices in the room that were yet to be heard.

  • Jennifer February 4, 2015 (9:40 am)

    Could the next meeting be a “closed” meeting for only those who reside in WS? People could show their driver’s license to gain entry. Just a thought…not sure if that is allowed or not.

  • drahcir61 February 4, 2015 (10:16 am)

    Change comes from peaceful, inclusive dialogue. There was nothing inclusive about hijacking & shutting down a community meeting.

    In fact, the protesters “tactics” will likely do more harm than good in the court of public opinion (especially when revealed that you ARE NOT part of the West Seattle community).

    And lastly, ALL lives matter … including police lives!

  • Carol O. February 4, 2015 (10:23 am)

    Closed meeting for a community where you show your identification? Wow. I think you have to go someplace like North Korea if you want that type of meeting.

  • Jeff February 4, 2015 (10:44 am)

    This is fantastic!

    Shout downs, closed meetings, ID checks, denial of free speech rights….

    All parties involved deserve each other.

    This IS what y’all voted for.

  • West Seattle Block Watch Captains' Network February 4, 2015 (10:46 am)

    We do plan to invite the Chief back to West Seattle – soon – and will make sure that the meeting takes place at a venue in which we can keep order. We don’t want a closed meeting, but rather a public meeting in which people behave civilly or can be ejected.
    .
    We were told that we couldn’t force the protestors to leave, because the meeting was held inside the precinct, a public building; we won’t have that constraint at another venue.

  • Korm66 February 4, 2015 (10:52 am)

    “Closed meeting for a community where you show your identification? Wow. I think you have to go someplace like North Korea if you want that type of meeting.”

    Lol. So extreme. I’m all for people showing identification for a community meeting if people from outside that community make a habit of coming to disrupt it.
    The protesters put their agenda above those of us who are apart of this community.
    “Because the method the protestor chose to use infuriates does not mean there is a lack of thought”- I agree for the most part, except they didn’t put much thought about everyone else in the room or their concerns.

  • D February 4, 2015 (11:05 am)

    The idea that folks from other neighborhoods are not part of the “community” is ridiculous. West Seattle is not a separately incorporated city. The chief is the chief of Seattle PD. Anyone should have access to a public official. If someone from Idaho wanted to come comment, so be it. If you want to go to a meeting with the chief in the U. District, go! This is a separate issue from dealing with disruption, but I cringe (as always) about the weird exclusive language we fall into on this blog. It is ugly, undemocratic and elitist. But these are the same folks who want 35th to only be used by those who live W. Seattle and don’t want palm trees planted on a fake beach.

  • wetone February 4, 2015 (11:13 am)

    No action from city, the hecklers win once again. Shows how little the city cares about the concerns of law abiders and trying to fix the snowballing effect they have created with the handling of these types of situations here in Seattle.

  • Sandal41 February 4, 2015 (11:20 am)

    I attended last night’s meeting because I heart West Seattle!! Too be honest, I suffer from social anxiety, and showing up took real effort. But I heart West Seattle so tremendously so. I moved here in 1991, my father grew up in West Seattle, my grandfather built a house on Bonair Drive & it is still in the family …….

    I went to the meeting in hopes to learn how the Southwest Precinct is addressing the crime in West Seattle. Guess what? I have no idea ….. The disruptions that occurred during the meeting, to me, was frightening, maybe that was the social anxiety reacting, and I want to be clear I understand their message(s) …… just cannot understand the tactics. But I was not there to understand them.

    After the meeting was shutdown (thanks), I sat in my car so frustrated and upset. A woman was standing on the sidewalk of the parking lot to the precinct holding an ENOUGH sign. Took a ton of guts for me to approach her but I did. I proceeded to inform her that I understand the passion behind the cause, but disrupting a meeting like that has taken away MY ENOUGH (of the crime happening in West Seattle). Through a crappy smirk and a smug voice she said “I was not in the meeting, I did not disrupt anything, and what you’re saying makes no sense and has no relevance.” Somebody that was part of the staged disruption came up and asked what I was saying, I again spoke my peace, and at least he understood me …… YOU RUINED MY ENOUGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Carol O. February 4, 2015 (11:43 am)

    So lets say you had a community meeting with identification to show you live in West Seattle. You don’t think there might be people that would feel the same way the protesters feel or could even disrupt the meeting? Sometimes there are concerns greater then ours that need to be addressed. Many civil rights we enjoy today came about because of disruptive protest.

  • Dietrich Schmtiz February 4, 2015 (12:15 pm)

    I’d have booted them from the space. They lost their right to be there. That lady crossed from reasonable free speech into the realm of violating other’s rights to assemble and speak. It’s OK to ask people like that to leave. And in my interpretation of things, I will physically help them to leave if it comes down to it.

  • Diane February 4, 2015 (1:16 pm)

    I can’t open the link; can someone please tell me what it says at “The last line of “B,” I think, is the crux”

    • WSB February 4, 2015 (1:28 pm)

      Full text (I tried to cut and paste the end earlier, am having browser issues with c/p’ing) of Seattle Municipal Code for “disorderly conduct”:
      .

      A.
      A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if he or she intentionally, maliciously and unreasonably disrupts any assembly or meeting of persons and refuses or intentionally fails to cease such activity when ordered to do so by a police officer or by a person in charge of the assembly or meeting.
      B.
      The following definition applies in this section: “Malice” or “maliciously” shall impart an evil intent, wish or design to vex, annoy, or injure another person. Malice may be inferred from an act done in willful disregard of the rights of another, or an act wrongfully done without just cause or excuse, or an act or omission of duty betraying a willful disregard of social duty. Malicious intent shall not be construed to mean the exercise of one’s constitutional rights to picket, or to legally protest.

  • ws gal February 4, 2015 (1:44 pm)

    Wetone- Ditto!!

  • ScubaFrog February 4, 2015 (3:03 pm)

    The shouter apparently wasn’t exercising Free Speech. You don’t get to shout and harass people – and hide behind the guise of ‘Free Speech’. Apparently a lot of people don’t understand what Free Speech means.

    Bummer that the aggressor wasn’t ousted from the meeting. I’ve got a lot of questions for Chief O’Toole in regards to West Seattle. And she doesn’t even have a public email address.

  • G February 4, 2015 (3:05 pm)

    Won’t comment on the “shouter,” because everyone’s going to have their ironclad opinions on that, but the rest of the meeting was anemic with run-of-the-mill advice for West Seattleites who are dealing with a dangerous uptick in crime. What unimpressive panel, including O’Toole.

  • Jeff February 4, 2015 (3:36 pm)

    Who is this “city” being referred to?

    The city this. The city that. Hilarious!

    Stop being a subject and start being a citizen.

    On second thought don’t, human folly is great comedy.

    Carry on.

  • Data point February 4, 2015 (4:01 pm)

    Someone expressed concern about people smoking pot ” on the corner”. It appears another attendee retorted that pot is legal in WA, as if to shut down the concern. The problem is, yes it’s legal but you still can’t smoke it in public.

  • drahcir61 February 4, 2015 (4:02 pm)

    Most informed residents of West Seattle are well aware of the ongoing crime & strong-arm robberies that we’ve been facing. And when young kids are robbed at gun point while walking to school or in the Thriftway parking lot then the community, this community, wants answers before someone is seriously hurt or killed.

    There was an agenda for last night’s meeting & it was not about the U District or downtown bus stops or any other grievance you might have with the SPD or the city.

    The fact that a small group of people deliberately chose to disrupt a peaceful, West Seattle community meeting tells me one thing … they could care less about West Seattle residents or helping to resolve any of the ongoing crime issues we face.

  • CSW February 4, 2015 (4:25 pm)

    If one, or several people are disrupting a meeting, why weren’t they escorted out. Why shut down the meeting because of a few loud mouths?

  • Beth February 4, 2015 (4:46 pm)

    As far as why the person or persons were not escorted out of the meeting… Put it into perspective. All that would have done was fuel their fire. They would have created monstrous media attention for the fact that they were “not able to have their say”. I think Pete handled appropriately given all circumstances. I am confident we will have the opportunity to speak with Chief O’Toole again.

  • ScubaFrog February 4, 2015 (5:54 pm)

    Yes Beth – and when Chief O’Toole comes back, what do you propose is done with the shouters then? Just continue to let them shout and harass attendees (citizens and officals alike) – and keep rescheduling meetings with the Chief?

    The meeting was a rare opportunity. We probably won’t be getting another one any time soon regardless of the Chief’s wish to come back “sooner rather than later”.

  • Darryll February 4, 2015 (7:45 pm)

    Mr Elliot –

    You’ve completely missed the point of what I wrote by oversimplifying and choosing bad analogies. That’s fine. I stand by what I wrote. The meeting was organized by the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network. It was not a propaganda event organized by SPD. That’s why I still say that the protesters denied our community an opportunity to explore issues important to our area. It was not the right venue for their protest, in my opinion, but they do have the right to do what they did, apparently. And I have the right to my opinion that their actions showed immaturity and disrespect for our community.

    Second, saying that my argument means we need to show empathy to teachers who punch their students is just absurd – you know that, though. Seattle schools are underfunded (at least the ones in my neighborhood are), as is SPD. But these organizations and their employees have very different missions and responsibilities, so I’d say that the comparison ends there. I agree with your points in full – all equipment and enforcement related activities by SPD employees should be logged. I’d also like to see a public database that makes this level of information available to everyone. I’m pretty sure some of this is already being done, but I’m no expert on internal police policies, so I can’t say for sure. What I do know is what Chief O’Toole explained – that SPD has about the same population and twice the geographical area to patrol as the Boston PD, but SPD has 800 – 1,000 fewer officers to do it with. I also know from Officer Keane that it costs about $500K to put a new officer into active duty. That means that just to meet the current training and readiness standards, it will cost a minimum of $50MM to meet the Mayor’s goal of 100 new patrol officers on the street. That is a real funding issue, especially for an organization that is pushing a lot of additional training and organizational changes to meet the terms of the consent decree. It sounds like you’re saying this is important, but you don’t think it should be funded? Not sure what you’re beef is with this. Anyway, this all matters to a lot of the people in WSEA because far too many people here have been victims of armed robbery, rape, murder and smaller property crime. These people matter and have a right to be represented, too! Correct me if I’m wrong there.

    “Bringing solutions to light is difficult when an individual doesn’t have the same political influence or monetary funds as a corporation or billionaire.”

    Who were the billionaires and politicians in the room last night? I met one gentleman who is running for the district 1 seat. Is that who you were talking about? But he wasn’t actually an elected official yet, and probably not a billionaire, either. Also, it was a small room, so I think we could all hear people just fine without any yelling needed.

    “Maybe it’s best not to assume that a grass roots effort is always inclusive of the entire community?”
    Do you think this rhetorical question makes me sound smarter? Really, what’s this supposed to mean?

    “The protestor who came to the meeting is the one who showed up to make real change in day to day lives beyond you”
    What did they really do? They took over a meeting organized by an under-represented and very diverse community of Seattle to shout at people who are trying to address some of the issues that these protesters feel so strongly about. Not a single member of that protest group called out a specific problem that was caused by the chief or Captain Wilske – either on purpose or through negligence. They also had no concrete plan of action for making a difference, but instead could only express anger and complaint. That seems pretty weak for a so-called activist who has been at it for 15 years or more. I would think that she would be working on a larger stage by this point. If I had caught her name, I would have looked her up to see what real change she has delivered to the world at large for all of her efforts, but she chooses to be an anonymous and therefore uncommitted player in this conversation. I have no idea what she does or for whom she does it. I only know that she doesn’t seem to care about the problems facing our local community.

    “even if your family and neighbors are safe from these -isms.”

    My family are not safe from any “isms”. You don’t know a thing about us, where we come from, what struggles we have endured. You’re just taking an opportunity to insult base don your own prejudice, which seems to be about all you’ve got.

    “The Chief missed a real opportunity to listen to the protestor and return the room to a state of calm with honest dialog”
    Dialogue? Wow. Maybe you were not in the room last night. There was no dialogue because the person in question was shouting over the top of everyone and only got louder when the chief tried to address her complaints. In fact that person was not even in the room until the end, when she came in to “situate the conversation”, a.k.a., to ruin it for everyone else. She just wanted to talk about the big old protest happening on April 14th. So, while she’s out beating a drum and posing for cameras, the grown ups will be doing the hard work of changing policy and dealing with the very real and difficult issues of social justice and racial/economic disparity.

    6 – Yup! I don’t have to listen to the person who shouts the loudest. I have the right to ponder the facts, dialogue with other people who care, and make up my own mind. Then, I’ll vote.

  • Dan February 4, 2015 (8:07 pm)

    Mr Elliot and Carol O you will not be happy in a world where the loudest and most brutish get their way. People with all the answers do not want to hear any questions. They do not long for agreement, they demand acquiesces. They are bullies. Bullies must be fought; they don’t need to be coddled.

    The protesters do not care about solving problems. They are not interested in a dialogue or a constructive debate. They are fueled by ego and angst. They believe that no one understand the world like they do. They brook no countervailing viewpoints and think that nothing is to be learned by listening to any heretical opinions. They consume only what conforms their bias, their compassion is limited to those they consider victims of the system. They find authenticity in failure and criminality. They don’t praise the immigrant store owner who spends years building his business; they celebrate the people that burn it down in a riot over perceived racism. The rioters and hecklers all get their veto when the other people allow them.

    I was not there that night. I wish I had been. I intend to be there the next time. Everyone who is complaining about these fools should be there too. When they start up we should face them and ask them to be quiet and or to leave politely. Failing that, a nice form of counter protest would be to take their pictures and post them online. They want attention and they should get it.

    This video is a sweet insight into these people’s minds:
    .
    http://boston.cbslocal.com/video?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=11042307
    .

    I do not want them harassed or doxed, but it would be nice at the next meeting to catch them at the door and inform them that they are welcome to stay if they behave, but will be escorted out if they do not.

  • Eric February 4, 2015 (8:08 pm)

    I was gonna reply to this too Darryll, but got caught up paying my bills. Just wanted to say I whole heartedly agree with what you said

  • Dan February 4, 2015 (8:22 pm)

    Darryll,
    I didn’t notice your comment when I finished mine and posted it. You are absolutely correct. Mr Elliot and Carol O seem more interested in process then in progress. Thank you for going and reporting back.

  • Darryll February 4, 2015 (8:59 pm)

    Thanks to you, too, Dan! The link was great and I think it underscores what a lot of the protesters may not understand: that many “privileged” people who work 9 – 5 jobs also care about these issues. But they have to honor their civic committments during their very sparse free time between spending a couple hours with their families and working hard to make ends meet.

    Living with their parents at their age seems like a pretty privileged life to have – we should all be so lucky!

  • 33Pete February 4, 2015 (8:59 pm)

    “The protestor who came to the meeting is the one who showed up to make real change in day to day lives beyond you, your son, your wife, and your neighbors. Because the method the protestor chose to use infuriates does not mean there is a lack of thought.”

    No, the protestor showed up to feel important – not for us; but for herself. “Look at me people, look at me.” Honestly, a real moron and ego maniac that clearly thinks her time is more valuable than others and that the person with the loudest voice is the only one to be heard. Heard of the marketplace of ideas concept? Well, it doesn’t really work when one JA doesn’t allow idea to be heard, but instead monopolizes dialog by shouting.

    To be clear, EVERYONE in the room embraced the notion that lives matter – black, white, brown, whatever – and they were working toward a solution. Little Miss, however, prevented that from happening and instead acted like a 2 year old. Waaaaaahhhh.

  • mary s February 4, 2015 (9:49 pm)

    Thank you, Darryll, for once again showing up at a community meeting and participating in true, productive activism by doing so. I appreciate your thoughtful comments when we’re both in the same meetings and your thorough reporting when I’m unable to make it to them. I’m so grateful to have you as my neighbor.

  • Christyx February 4, 2015 (11:48 pm)

    West Seattle folks please research american history, understand the origins of police before defending murderous, racists oppressors. There are no “good cops” in a racist system.

    As for the the ignorant comments made by Todd Packer — 11:36 pm February 3, 2015.

    Todd, before you accuse any community member or citizen of their activism or evoking their 1st Amendment Right (especially calling them out by name) be certain that you are comfortable with having your own name in print regarding any political stance or meeting you may attend. When a person attends a community meeting, they are doing so as part of the community, they have a right to be there just like you do. Disagreeing with a community members politics or tactics is one thing, calling out someone by name is harmful to everyone, including you. Your ignorance won’t protect you from cops either. Think before you type.

    Abolish the police.

  • Eric February 5, 2015 (5:30 am)

    Abolish the police? Seriously? Did you even think ahead before making that statement? What a naive and short sighted mindset. Abolishing the police would be a disaster. Criminals of all colors would be running rampant throughout the streets doing what they wanted when they wanted. Examples are everywhere showing this. Vallejo, Ca. cut its law enforcement by about 50% and now crime has skyrocketed. In parts of South America, street gangs are terrorizing residents with no worries of repercussions due to the lack of police presence.

    Some of these comments, I feel like I’m back in college in a survey of institutions class, where a hyper liberal teacher is spoon feeding students ideas to the point where it absolves people of persona responsibility and lays 100% blame on the system. Are there systemic issues? Absolutely, but at the same time there is also a lack of personal responsibility and swinging either to the hyper left or hyper right is not going to solve anything.

    These “activists” seem to be doing the very same thing the media is doing and that is cherry picking what they want to look at. This way it can fit their agenda that incidents that have gone on with the police are merely a result of racism. This fits into their black and white (no pun intended) idealism, instead of seeing that there are many shades of gray. You’ll notice that no one is speaking about the unarmed white guy in Auburn who got shot by police while in his bed. Or the unarmed white guy who got choked to death. Or the unarmed white guy who was shot by a black campus police officers, or the white guy who was shot and killed for hitting a cop with a snow shovel. Instead questions are asked as to why the white police officer didn’t use a taser against the black guy who pulled a gun on the officer.

    I’m only bringing up race in this instance to show how the media and protesters are cherry picking what they want to talk about, all the while these pseudo black community leaders such as Al Sharpton are laughing all the way to the bank as their popularity and pocketbooks rely on this race baiting and propaganda. To say a white cop shot a person because the cop is racist as it seems to be with every white cop shooting a non-white person, I find hard to believe. Are there racist cops, without a doubt, just as there are racist people of all skin color and nationalities. But to state that cops are shooting people simply cause they’re racist is

    1: shallow thinking and not looking at the many other variables of the situation

    2: Doesn’t explain the white police shooting white people, and/or non-white police shooting white people.

    Do people really think that a cop feels good after shooting someone? It often times causes them a lot of stress and guilt. Sometimes to the point where they have nervous breakdowns and need professional counseling.

    And to think the solution is abolish the police is absolutely ridiculous. This solves nothing and will only lead to vigilantism among other “solutions”. As has been pointed out, the police need better training. They deal with a job where the majority of the time they are dealing with people who may not be very good people. A lot of times they are dealing with criminals. A lot of times they are dealing with negative situations. They are put in dangerous positions where they need to make split second decisions without the luxury of arm chair 20/20 hindsight. There needs to be better training, more psychological support, counseling, support groups, etc. Unlike a teacher, a police officer goes to work with the understanding that this might be the day where they might get wounded or even killed by another person doing their job. But the police also need the support of the community in which they are serving. Sounds like many people came to the meeting just for that, while a small group came just to shut it down, not looking for solutions, but only to hear themselves yell.

  • Yes2WS February 5, 2015 (6:11 am)

    I don’t doubt the Chief of Police’s ability to have handled this disturbance; but rather, I doubt her willingness to have done so.

    My confidence in West Seattle’s crime spike becoming anything of a priority has lessened quite a bit with the handling (or rather, lack of) handling of this incident.

    • WSB February 5, 2015 (6:39 am)

      Regarding Christyx’s comment and the comment by Todd to which s/he refers – naming a third party in allegations here is against a longstanding WSB rule and we have removed that comment as a result; it hadn’t been flagged previously, and we missed it. To all – This is now in danger of devolving to the screen version of what played out in the room the other night and that’s also against our longstanding rules. Make your statements, but without namecalling. Already too much of that and there’s no need for it. The short version of our policy is – if criticism is what you are choosing to offer – “criticize the comment, not the commenter.” Thanks – Tracy

  • Citizen February 5, 2015 (7:57 am)

    Of course we won’t abolish the police. That’s just something anarchists throw out there to get people riled up and feed their need for attention.

    The problems with the SPD have been festering for decades and it will take a long time to resolve them. Disrupting meetings with silly theatrics just prolongs the problem. Getting an effective police force that serves the needs of our community is something that serious minded adults need to come together to handle.

  • Dan February 5, 2015 (9:59 am)

    Abolish the police.

    OK we have your order. Would like that with a side of anarchy and murder? Or do you prefer the diet plate with property destruction and theft?

  • Carol O. February 5, 2015 (11:24 am)

    When certain groups of society feel devalued, stereotyped and treated unfairly, the results can be anti-social behavior. Education and reform are needed not just them but in society in general which includes police departments. This is a national problem that can’t be swept under the rug. Protest are sometimes ugly and upsetting. Yes, it’s sad that it had to happen here and problems couldn’t be discussed like children getting robbed just walking to school but because of the past actions of the Seattle Police which resulted in Federal intervention were stuck with these type of things happening anywhere. True reform by the police department needs to be shown on a large level in actions and media. The protest that people had to endure might end up being part of the hisory of police reform in the United States similar to the events that took place in Selma, Alabama which led to desegregation and the Stonewall riots in New York that led to gay rights.

  • Dan February 5, 2015 (12:05 pm)

    Carol O,
    Wrong. Selma was a peaceful march met with brutality from the cops. It helped get the Voting Rights Act of 1965 past because of the restraint the marchers showed when faced with the brutality of the police. They did not go to the Senate gallery and shout down the Senators debating the passage of Voting Rights Act. If the Black Lives Matter group had waited its turn spoken respectfully and powerfully about its grievances they might have changed somebodies’ minds. Instead they acted like spoiled children and confirmed the opinion that they just want attention not justice. If you want a place at the adults table to get things done, you must act like an adult.

  • Carol O. February 5, 2015 (1:35 pm)

    Time will tell on these protest that are happening in many cities in the U.S.. Never said the protest in Selma was not peaceful just mentioned it as a protest and before that I wrote that sometimes protest are ugly and upsetting. In regards to Stonewall it did get violent but still resulted in change, no adult table to sit down at the time to discuss things, and the oppression had reached a breaking point, so by your reasoning would they be wrong in what they did?

  • Thomas M. February 5, 2015 (3:49 pm)

    Get there way early. PACK the room. Make sure the fire department is there to say NO to any who try to enter once capacity is reached.

  • Lonnie February 5, 2015 (4:02 pm)

    Having participated in many meetings, I know that in order for one to conduct a meaningful meeting, “established rules of conduct” need to be put in place and clearly announced at the beginning of the meeting. The consequences for those that fail to act or speak in accordance with the established rules must also be clearly indicated prior to the meeting proceeding. By letting this be known before the meeting proceeds allows for those who disrupt to be removed from the room. What I witnessed was an embarrassment to our civilized society.

  • Rebecca February 5, 2015 (5:26 pm)

    I don’t think there was any real legal issue with ejected the protester from the meeting, but I’m sure the fear of litigation and selectively edited film footage of any attempts to remove this person/people made the police weary of intervening. I’m sure, the police are aware that these people are just trying to instigate some reaction they can manipulate and spin , I wonder how involved her supporters were willing to get if such a thing had gone down, lots of flailing arms and pointed accusations of police brutality I’d wager.

  • Christyx February 5, 2015 (11:18 pm)

    Although this came from a ms news article in Rollingstone, there are some great points made regarding living in a cop free world, I have posted the link to the entire article here: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/policing-is-a-dirty-job-but-nobodys-gotta-do-it-6-ideas-for-a-cop-free-world-20141216

    Unarmed mediation and intervention teams

    Unarmed but trained people, often formerly violent offenders themselves, patrolling their neighborhoods to curb violence right where it starts. This is real and it exists in cities from Detroit to Los Angeles. Stop believing that police are heroes because they are the only ones willing to get in the way of knives or guns – so are the members of groups like Cure Violence, who were the subject of the 2012 documentary The Interrupters. There are also feminist models that specifically organize patrols of local women, who reduce everything from cat-calling and partner violence to gang murders in places like Brooklyn. While police forces have benefited from military-grade weapons and equipment, some of the most violent neighborhoods have found success through peace rather than war.

    The decriminalization of almost every crime

    What is considered criminal is something too often debated only in critical criminology seminars, and too rarely in the mainstream. Violent offenses count for a fraction of the 11 to 14 million arrests every year, and yet there is no real conversation about what constitutes a crime and what permits society to put a person in chains and a cage. Decriminalization doesn’t work on its own: The cannabis trade that used to employ poor Blacks, Latinos, indigenous and poor whites in its distribution is now starting to be monopolized by already-rich landowners. That means that wide-scale decriminalization will need to come with economic programs and community projects. To quote investigative journalist Christian Parenti’s remarks on criminal justice reform in his book Lockdown America, what we really need most of all is “less.”


    Restorative Justice

    Also known as reparative or transformative justice, these models represent an alternative to courts and jails. From hippie communes to the IRA and anti-Apartheid South African guerrillas to even some U.S. cities like Philadelphia’s experiment with community courts, spaces are created where accountability is understood as a community issue and the entire community, along with the so-called perpetrator and the victim of a given offense, try to restore and even transform everyone in the process. It has also been used uninterrupted by indigenous and Afro-descendant communities like San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia for centuries, and it remains perhaps the most widespread and far-reaching of the alternatives to the adversarial court system.

    Direct democracy at the community level

    Reducing crime is not about social control. It’s not about cops, and it’s not a bait-and-switch with another callous institution. It’s giving people a sense of purpose. Communities that have tools to engage with each other about problems and disputes don’t have to consider what to do after anti-social behaviors are exhibited in the first place. A more healthy political culture where people feel more involved is a powerful building block to a less violent world.

    Community patrols 

    This one is a wildcard. Community patrols can have dangerous racial overtones, from pogroms to the KKK to George Zimmerman. But they can also be an option that replaces police with affected community members when police are very obviously the criminals. In Mexico, where one of the world’s most corrupt police forces only has credibility as a criminal syndicate, there have been armed groups of Policia Comunitaria and Autodefensas organized by local residents for self-defense from narcotraffickers, femicide and police. Obviously these could become police themselves and then be subject to the same abuses, but as a temporary solution they have been making a real impact. Power corrupts, but perhaps in Mexico, withering power won’t have enough time to corrupt.

    Here’s a crazy one: mental health care

    In 2012, Mayor Rahm Emanuel closed up the last trauma clinics in some of Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods. In New York, Rikers Island jails as many people with mental illnesses “as all 24 psychiatric hospitals in New York State combined,” which is reportedly 40% of the people jailed at Rikers. We have created a tremendous amount of mental illness, and in the real debt and austerity dystopia we’re living in, we have refused to treat each other for our physical and mental wounds. Mental health has often been a trapdoor for other forms of institutionalized social control as bad as any prison, but shifting toward preventative, supportive and independent living care can help keep those most impacted from ending up in handcuffs or dead on the street.

  • Marlo February 6, 2015 (3:38 am)

    “Every 28 hours an unarmed Black man is killed by the police”….Really??? All those people killed and Ferguson gets the spotlight? I’m Black. Over 50 and haven’t been shot yet. I guess my time is approaching.

    And a few words to the protestors, I don’t need or want your help! I can do bad by myself! You make life worse for me not better!

  • Mike February 6, 2015 (6:13 am)

    Christyx, did you know we already have many of those types of things in place….headed up by SPD? Here’s one http://www.seattle.gov/police/youth/
    .
    Here’s another http://www.seattle.gov/police/community/default.htm
    .
    The protesting individuals at this meeting which WSB posted about had one agenda, to demonize EVERY police officer and prevent ANY community outreach from occuring. This entire meeting was a method to reach out to the community and find solutions. Instead, it ended up being a soap box for a loud mouth that could care less if our local kids DIE walking to school.

  • Carol O February 6, 2015 (9:54 am)

    Used the internet to look up the date the protester was yelling about which was April 14th, and found out that a group called The Stop Mass Incarceration Network is calling for a National business as usual shutdown protest with school and job walk outs. On April sixth, seventh, and the eigth there is a conferance being held in Atlanta to plan for this event, they have their own Facebook page and dot com with the details.

  • jeff February 6, 2015 (4:00 pm)

    @ChristyX

    Sermons lived are better those that are preached.

    Money is power and the enemy of power is truth.

    Seems to me that your lot is better served by demonstrating the benefits of your sermon rather than making noise whereby those in power essentially tune you out and rack y’all up as a cost of doing business. Isolation quiets the message.

    Also, don’t fight bias with bias. It’s a losing prop.

  • TM February 6, 2015 (7:46 pm)

    As a victim of crime, I can tell you that crime prevention only goes so far and that policing after the fact doesn’t help the victim. No matter how much society tries to overcomes injustice, there will always be those who feel they have more right to my property/well being regardless of their ability or inability to work for a living. Until everyone decides to be part of the solution, I will defend my family, my rights and my property against those who would deny them. I carry a weapon for my protection, not yours. My life matters, if you cross a line, yours won’t…

  • Thomas M. February 6, 2015 (9:13 pm)

    TM ain’t me folks. Not that I disagree…

Sorry, comment time is over.