Thanks to Jeff Hogan for the video of Seattle Police motorcycle officers riding in Lincoln Park this morning. We checked with SPD media relations to see if there was a particular occasion or operation; just a training ride for the Traffic Enforcement Unit (which is based downtown), they tell us. Not the first time they’ve been seen in the park – WSB archives include these reader photos from 2012.
Seems like a pretty clear violation of Parks rules. Non-motorized bicycles aren’t even allowed on trails narrower than 6′-0″ wide. Seems like finding gravel paths under I-5 along Beacon Hill or similar places would be a better fit for such training rides.
https://www.seattle.gov/parks/about-us/rules-and-regulations#motorizedvehicles
Wow! Make sure if your ever in need of the Police to tell them not to speed to your location because that’s against the law, and no sirens either because those scare animals.
I agree it’s against the rules & regulations, however…
Should there be an instance when they need to follow a ‘bad guy’ into the park it’s good to have trained in the past so they’re more conditioned/ready for the terrain and environment they will encounter.
This will likely anger a lot of folks, but we need to have our P.D. is prepared.
I agree with KBEAR. I walk the park serveral times a week and always see dogs off lease and on the beach! Why can’t we get more enforcement for this issue?
Yes, totally agree. We need more dog lease enforcement on the beach. *snicker snicker*
First I love the SPD and if they need to train in Lincoln Park that’s fine with me.
Second…Unleashed dogs are a huge safety problem in Lincoln Park that needs to be addressed before someone gets hurt. Rude, irresponsible, arrogant dog owners are letting their dogs off leash in Lincoln Park on a regular basis. Unleashed dogs are a cause of concern for parents with kids playing in the park, seniors like myself walking in the park, other dog owners with leashed dogs and the general public.
Considering how that SPD car set on fire started in Lincoln Park, I’m OK with any sort of police presence there. The officers are often required to drive through public trails/paths/natural areas so training in a park makes good sense. If they want to cite off-leash dogs or bikeshare bikes left in our parks without a permit at the same time, that would be fine with me.
“Osborne was arrested March 24 for allegedly harassing people at Lincoln
Park in West Seattle and threatening them with a stick, according to
charging papers.”
How did SPD MC training in LP turn into dogs being off leash? Boy there are a lot of one-track minded people that live in WS isn’t there.
You all have been complaining about this subject for years on end and nothing has been done maybe it’s time to move on to more important matters
It’s funny to see 1 touring bike and a bunch of fat street Harleys cruising through the forest. :)
It’s kind of amusing, but that’s an improved trail and any competent rider should be able to ride a street bike along it, including a giant luxo-tourer like a BMW LT or a Gold Wing. I’ve ridden street bikes on far worse.
What really gets me is the lack of safety gear. Old-school boots don’t really do it. Bellevue PD motor officers wear actual safety gear with actual D30 armor. I chatted with a couple of them in the Starbucks on 148th and Main, and they said that some older motor officers wanted transfers or retired when they brought in the BMWs and the safety gear, but they were really happy to have it.
It comes up because there’s a leash law. Who enforces the law? Police or Seattle Animal Shelter officers. So if they train to ride motorcycles in the park, we have an idea of how to use that training. Issue some tickets while you’re out there.
My daughter is scared of dogs. And “oh, she’s a sweet dog. she won’t hurt you” is not going to help the situation. It’s still incredibly freaky for my 3-foot daughter. She doesn’t care what you say – there’s still this massive furry creature with teeth in her face.
Oh my gawd CC!
Yes there is a leash law and no one enforces the law but these Police were there to train not to all of a sudden stop their motorcycle/training pull out their ticket book to give a ticket.
And as for most dogs they’re the best creatures in the whole world and you need to get your daughter used to them, show her they could be her best friend, always there when you come home wagging their tales.
OH and currently I own 2 cats now that’s another story in itself!
The leash law is enforced. SPD does have bicycle patrols ride through parks and they can certainly ticket a dog owner breaking the law. There are consequences to breaking laws. Not all dogs are friendly, a lot of dogs are reactive which can scare anyone, certain dog breeds need a lot of control and should not be around children or people in general.
Not all dogs are awesome. Some are unpredictable creatures- like the one who bit my son. So, dogs should be kept on leash in public places. Last week I was with a group of kids at Lincoln park eating lunch and two off leash “sweet” Golden’s came running toward us- friendly- but nabbed the best part of my daughters lunch. Seriously annoying.
I should look into how to report this (hopefully online) and maybe with more reports would come some enforcement. (?)
FYI – It’s super obnoxious and entitled to tell a parent what is best for their child especially when you do not know that child. Your comment reflects indifference to the strongly held feelings of a child. That sucks.
Don’t see how this exercise relates to traffic enforcement. I can see regular SPD officers possibly needing to respond to an incident within the park, but traffic….? Can’t remember the last time I saw traffic enforcement on a street in West Seattle; guess they were just hangin’ out in the park.
So WSB posts cops on motorcycles in the park and it somehow goes to unleashed dogs and enforcement of motorized vehicles on park grounds? It’s cops on motorcycles in the park. That’s all. I’m sure they caused less damage than the 100 people running behind 3 wheel strollers that day. Really, it’s ok. It’ll be fine.
Actually, yes, off-leash dogs DO cause more damage than strollers, BECAUSE THEY DON’T STAY ON THE TRAILS. NO, it is NOT “fine”. They chase after wildlife, and they sometimes attack other dogs or people. This story is about cops in the park? My comment about off-leash dogs is also about cops in the park. I’m not bothered by the fact that they’re getting some necessary training on their motorcycles. I would just like them (and/or Animal Control) to ALSO enforce the leash law.
Rather than ticketing off leash dog owners, a better use of police resources would be ticketing all of the people driving to Lincoln Park whilst texting or talking on their phone.
I was there this morning and chatted with them. These officers were going very slowly and carefully and were learning how to ride on unusual surfaces. I love Lincoln Park. I walk there most mornings and treasure its peace and wildlife. These men and women were far less destructive than the people who smash bottles in the parking lot, the people who tag the picnic shelters, walls, and dumpsters, the people who let their dogs run on the beach or in the underbrush (and yes, I always take my dogs with me when I’m in the park — on leash), or the people who leave their trash behind when they have parties. So instead of getting worked up about officers training so they don’t hurt themselves or others when they’re on rough or unusual terrain, how about you pick up a little bit of garbage when you’re there next time or ask someone to put their dog on leash? Or just go and enjoy the beauty of the park.
This story is about the SPD/MC division doing training in LP —–NOT ABOUT OFF LEASH DOGS
The story is about what the police are doing in Lincoln Park. Commenting about what they’re not/never doing in Lincoln park is fair game.
(OK, I get that this post is not about off-leash dogs, but….)
Oh my GAWD, Momosmom, how dare you poo-poo CC’s concern for her child. No! dogs aren’t “the best creatures in the whole world” to many of us especially children. My daughter in particular sees a dog and cowers behind me still at almost 10 years old b/c she’s DEATHLY ALLERGIC to their saliva — as in, if I don’t have an EpiPen on me….drive to the hospital allergic, only discovered by an “oh, he won’t hurt you” sweet little off-leash puppy at Lowman Park that licked her all over her face before I could move fast enough to get her off the ground when she was a toddler. She’s not afraid of them, she’s afraid of what happens to her body with the interaction with them.
Alkidogowner said it best — It’s super obnoxious and entitled to tell a parent what is best for their child especially when you do not know that child. Your comment reflects indifference to the strongly held feelings of a child. That sucks.
Our daughter suffers from anaphylactic allergies to peanuts which is horrible enough, but JISSY’s daughter’s allergy to dogs is unimaginable to me.
And I have had to stab an EPPI Pen into our daughter followed by a rush to the emergency room several times.
Add our countries freedom of religion to the reasons for not allowing dogs off leash where they are not allowed or anticipated to be.
“The majority of both Sunni and Shi’a Muslim jurists consider dogs to be ritually unclean.” Wickapedia
I came to appreciate this when our young daughter had a Muslim school friend over to our home and she was terrified of our Portuguese Water Dog approaching her.
Oddly enough, pork and shellfish are in the same category of ritually unclean in some religions. With your logic, they should not go to the beach or grocery store because it’s there. I’m a Pastafarian. BTW, it’s Wikipedia.
To all that I offended I APOLOGIZE I didn’t realize or think that there may be reasons behind your child being afraid of dogs, I thought it was the parent just coddling/shielding their child from life.
I still believe that dogs are the best creatures on earth because they’ll love their people no matter how you treat them good or bad and that people are the ones that make a good dog and a bad dog so don’t blame the dog for it being off its leash.
Back to the reason of my 1st comment…” Yes there is a leash law and no one enforces the law but these Police were there to train not to all of a sudden stop their motorcycle/training pull out their ticket book to give a ticket“
Sorry, comment time is over.
| 30 COMMENTS