FOLLOWUP: USPS explains why it will close Westwood Village post-office lobby at night

| West Seattle news | Westwood

As first reported here last Saturday, starting next month, the Westwood Village post office (2571 SW Trenton) will start closing at night next month, as the West Seattle Junction post office has been doing for almost two years. Since the signage at Westwood didn’t cite a specific reason, we followed up with regional U.S. Postal Service spokesperson Ernie Swanson. Here’s what he tells WSB:

Homeless people began sleeping in the lobby of the Westwood Village Station, harassing our customers who came in to check their mail in the evening. The homeless people also left trash behind including syringes and human waste. With regard for the safety of our customers, the decision was made to close the lobby from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. each night. This problem has become more prevalent in the city as we feel the need to close our lobbies during night-time hours.

An online-news search confirms this is happening in other cities – a quick search turned up reports from Medford, OR, to Kokomo, IN.

Quora January 8, 2020 (4:16 pm)

Syringes and human waste? Lovely. Wonder if we are prepared to dump a billion into this crisis like Gavin Newsome is pushing down in California. Just add it to the tab!

Realistic January 8, 2020 (6:42 pm)

Can you think of a a solution to homelessness and drug addiction that doesn’t cost money, and isn’t cruel or inhuman?

flimflam January 8, 2020 (4:25 pm)

…and that’s exactly what i thought the reason was. its happened at several post offices in the area.

KM January 8, 2020 (4:45 pm)

Westwood Village would be a good place for various types housing. Clearly there is a need for at least basic shelter and services, and there seems to always be some vacancies. I wish it were that simple.

Alex S. January 9, 2020 (1:04 pm)

Affordable housing doesn’t work for people who destroy housing, harass their neighbors and “make a living” by stealing, dealing and pimping. More like: there’s a need for enforcement of the law, prosecuting crimes, and making people choose between jail and mandated treatment. Criminal addicts only stop when they get arrested or when they die.

West Seattle Hipster January 8, 2020 (4:59 pm)

Not surprising at all, as there have been RV’s parked along Trenton for quite some time. Would be great to see SPD arrest them for trespassing (if that is still illegal)..Wonder wonder our local city council member has to say about this?

WSB January 8, 2020 (5:16 pm)

Actually, for those not familiar with the area, it’s been a long time since Trenton has had more than one or two RV’s. There’s one as of my Westwood visit an hour and a half ago (on the stadium side this time, though there’s more often one on the PO side), and that’s about all we’ve seen in our almost-daily Trenton drives. RV’s in general have somewhat dispersed – Harbor has had a max of 5 in recent weeks, Andover has seldom had more than two or three. The far reaches of 1st Ave. S. (by 509/99) and Highland Park Way (near the old Nickelsville) have been slightly more populated. As for the mention of shelter, true. Camp Second Chance is usually at capacity. – TR
- JTK January 8, 2020 (9:13 pm)
  
  I live 3 blocks from WWV off Trenton. I walk my dog everyday that way and walking past the Post office is horrible. I contacted the city about all of the debris and garbage under the brush that is now encroaching over the sidewalk and the city said that that is land owned by the post office. So when I went in over last summer to inquire if they could clean up brush or all of the garbage left from the RV’s that YES are there (not as of the last few weeks) but yes most of the summer there were several there. The ost office said. Oh well. Our budget for outside maintenance is only about 1100.00. And that won’t do much so we can’t take care of it. I know there is a city code that if brush encroaches over I think 5 feet onto or over a sidewalk they have to take care of it. The city points its finger at the PO and the PO says we don’t have the money. Maybe the city should clean it up. Also interestingly the entire other side of Trenton got all of the blackberries taken care of last summer too. They are gone. It took workers three times to get them under control but that side was picked up. Mind you broken glass and syringes are on both sides of Trenton near the post office area. So sad since so many baseball games are played at that stadium. Also. When the RVs park there. Turning left out of the parking lot from WWV to go west on Trenton is nearly impossible. They are so tall that you can’t see behind them and it’s become not only a health issue but also a traffic issue. And I’m the one that’s going to get clipped coming out of there (even when I’m careful). It’s a hot mess down there in general. That post office area on Trenton is horrible. I actually got chased by some of the people in the RVs. I was parked and reporting them. And one by one they all came out saying why are you reporting us we aren’t doing anything. I said. You have an RV. If you want to “camp” go camping. I said. You know exactly what your doing. One man even got in front of my car and wouldn’t let me drive away. I reported it to police because I get threatened. So try to report it and that happens. Don’t report it and the garbage and syringes pile up. It’s all sad. :(

Peter January 8, 2020 (5:02 pm)

This problem arises from West Seattle having no short term/overnight shelter space, at least that I’m aware of. This wouldn’t have to happen if people had anywhere else to sleep. It’s very sad. Get on it, Herbold, you’re our rep, start pushing for the shelter space we need.

Gene January 8, 2020 (5:36 pm)

From the statement it looks like it wasn’t just a problem of people sleeping there-also using it as bathroom & using drugs.
- High Point January 8, 2020 (9:43 pm)
  
  I totally agree Gene!!! West Seattle needs more accessible public restrooms and safe spaces for drug consumption. It’s so sad seeing neighbors on this blog shaking their fingers at the people in crisis.
  - West Seattle Resident January 9, 2020 (7:15 am)
    
    No! We do not need safe spaces and injection zones. That is not humane or OK. That is being lazy. If people want to get high I can’t stop them but I don’t feel like paying for them to do so. Start a charity to pay for that stuff if you believe in it.
    - M January 9, 2020 (8:57 am)
      
      “”We do not need safe spaces and injection zones. That is not humane or OK. “Many European countries that have figured out this drug abuse issue would disagree with you there buddy.

HS January 8, 2020 (5:05 pm)

Ending the bus lines there has caused problems – in my opinion…. the fire caused by campers at Roxhill Park peat bog and now the PO issues.

JCW January 8, 2020 (11:10 pm)

I would caution against “only homeless individuals ride the bus” – it’s very much not the case and the lines that serve Barton street are an integral part of connecting our neighborhood to other parts of the city. You should try riding a bus. Might change your perspective.
- HS January 9, 2020 (7:57 pm)
  
  That is my perspective as a frequent public transit rider.

j January 8, 2020 (5:36 pm)

I went to the post office at Westwood last night.The unreported real issue:Drug addicts are breaking into and damaging PO boxes. When I went to Westwood to get a PO box there was none to reserve and she told me I could get one in the junction. I thought that was weird since it’s more heavily populated. I inquired why the junction would have vacancy and not Westwood. That’s when she informed me about there being less PO boxes available. We’re plucking the chicken one feather at a time and nobody notices how our quality of life is diminishing.

KM January 8, 2020 (11:48 pm)

Is our quality of life diminishing because our neighbors are experiencing homelessness and addiction, or because there isn’t a post office box available for you to rent?

Will S. January 8, 2020 (5:45 pm)

This post office is special. I once made an appointment for a passport photo, only to arrive and learn that their camera was broken. They sent me to the Rite-Aid, where the photographer chuckled and remarked that the post office’s camera has been broken for 2 years. Which is more plausible: that the good people of the Westwood post office have acted out of regard for their customers, or that they give no fox about anyone?

Kera January 8, 2020 (7:37 pm)

What about access with the fob for customers who needs to go in. Just the idea!?

ChopstickPeaches January 8, 2020 (8:20 pm)

There are a few shelters in both West Seattle and White Center; many in churches. Housing isn’t so much the issue as it is the ability to do drugs. Most shelters keep an eye on that kind of thing and sometimes people prefer defecating in the post office if it means they can keep the drug habit going. If the needles and feces weren’t found left there, I’d have a different opinion. Camp Second Chance is a tiny home village in White Center and they provide a lot of resources for clean living individuals and families. There land space is paid for my the church that resides across the street from it and is donated to often, there is definitely help put there it’s just unfortunate people don’t seem to know about it, or research into it

M January 8, 2020 (9:26 pm)

Lisa??

Mj January 8, 2020 (10:32 pm)

I’m from the old school, people need to held accountable. The City needs to both provide a carrot to people willing to make positive changes and yield a stick to those that are not. Enough is enough, what is next thing to be taken away from innocent parties?

Kyle January 9, 2020 (7:04 am)

Thank you for the follow up WSB! This is sad, and it seems the neighborhood loses out on a resource while elected leaders have no answer to people abusing this space. That aside, this is great local reporting that without WSB we’d all be wondering what happened with no information.

HighPoint January 9, 2020 (9:48 am)

Has the WSB confirmed that the people who “left trash behind including syringes and human waste” are actually homeless?

WSB January 9, 2020 (10:06 am)

I am quoting (as clearly attributed) the USPS spokesperson, which is the best I can do, absent a staff to go stake out the post office in the middle of the night.