West Seattle, Washington

18 Friday

56℉

Safety 1722 results

Followup: Design work starting soon for Avalon/Genesee signal
July 30, 2012 9:46 am
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

While talking with SDOT about a different project last Friday, we asked about the timetable for the future Avalon Way/SW Genesee traffic signal, mentioned often in various discussions of local road safety. Our most recent mention was back in February, when its future installation was described as tentatively set for the third quarter of this year (which we’re a month into). SDOT’s Paul Elliott checked on its status and tells WSB today: “Design for the civil work will begin in the next month and construction will be later this fall, with completion by Thanksgiving.” (He confirms that, as was said in February, the project also will include new curb ramps for accessibility.)

Share This

Remembering Marcus: 25 years since deadly Delridge crash
July 17, 2012 2:56 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Delridge | Safety | West Seattle news

Along Delridge, near SW Brandon, there’s a sign urging you to drive carefully “in memory of Marcus Ryan Anderson.” North Delridge community advocate Mike Dady points out via the ND e-mail list that today marks the 25th anniversary of the crash that killed 7-year-old Marcus (whose mother fought for seven years to get that sign put up, and for other safety improvements). Remember him, wherever you’re driving/riding.

Share This

Automated gunfire detector? Part of West Seattle on recommendation list
July 12, 2012 11:27 am
|      31 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle online | West Seattle politics

This afternoon at 2 pm, the City Council’s Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, chaired by Councilmember Bruce Harrell, looks at a high-tech solution to a recurring problem: How to tell when reports of gunshots are really gunshots – and how to find out about gunfire if no one reports it. The committee will see a presentation for a system called ShotSpotter, which involves acoustic sensors – a media advisory for today’s meeting summarizes it this way:

How will the Automated Gunfire Locating System work? When gunfire occurs outdoors, acoustic sensors will activate instantly and software will triangulate and identify the exact location of the gunfire. A gunfire and acoustic expert analyzes and validates the audio data and routes the alert to the police dispatch center. Within minutes, the police will receive critical information and arrive at the exact location of the gunfire knowing how many shots were fired, the original shooter’s position, speed and direction of travel (if shooter moved) and exact time of gunfire.

The company’s PowerPoint is online as part of the committee agenda, so we took a look, and noticed the map above – labeling part of West Seattle as an area recommended for the sensors, because it’s one of three areas in the city that together represent 55 percent of the shots/shootings/weapons calls (the West Seattle area mentioned is described as representing 8 percent of the calls), while only comprising 18 percent of the city’s acreage. Today’s meeting is a briefing – no specific proposal is up for a vote; too soon for that, and note that the slide deck says the cost of this is $40,000-$60,000/square mile annually – but if you’re interested in watching, Seattle Channel will have it live, on cable 21 and online at seattlechannel.org.

ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: Our partners at The Seattle Times covered the hearing; here’s their report.

Share This

Speaking of elections: Council OK’s $290 million seawall levy
July 2, 2012 1:41 pm
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

You might remember that video from 2009 – WSDOT’s version of how a big quake could bring down the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the downtown Seattle seawall. The Viaduct’s fate has since been settled, but the seawall’s has not …till now. Months after that video went public, not long after taking office in early 2010, Mayor McGinn proposed a $241 million property-tax levy to pay most of the cost of replacing the Elliott Bay seawall (we covered the announcement downtown). That proposal died. Now a new one is expected to go to Seattle voters in November – a $290 million bond measure that got preliminary City Council approval today (here’s the news release), with final approval expected next week. That’s not the full cost – the news release says the city’s already set aside $30 million, and the county would chip in $30 million more. One more number: If your house is worth $360,000, the city says the new seawall will cost you $59 a year. If the current schedule proceeds, it would be done by 2016 – when the tunnel’s supposed to be done, too.

Share This

One less fire truck based in West Seattle after Sunday
June 28, 2012 10:39 pm
|      12 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB photo of Ladder 13 and crew at scene of recent South Park fire)
The extra fire truck added to West Seattle in February of last year will be gone after this Sunday. So say multiple sources who called and e-mailed to tell us that Ladder 13, based at Highland Park’s Station 11, will be taken out of service as of Monday morning, leaving Engine 11 alone at the station.

Ladder 13’s primary purpose, as explained when it first arrived, was to make sure West Seattle would be adequately covered despite the fact Spokane Street Viaduct Widening Project work complicated WS Bridge access for the emergency units that come from the other side of the bay when there’s a major incident. Now, the new 1st Avenue South onramp is available for emergency vehicles – per a newly installed sign on the westbound SSV. (However, last year it was also explained that Ladder 13 would help cover South Park, which won’t have fast access from crews east of the Duwamish till the new SP Bridge opens more than a year from now.)

The eventual end of Ladder 13 – commissioned just for this task, not a pre-existing truck number moved from elsewhere – was mentioned here back in February, when it was a topic of conversation during our stop at Station 11 on Neighbor Appreciation Day. The fire station is supposed to get a seismic/safety upgrade soon – as explained here – and we were told in February that would happen after Ladder 13’s departure. The timetable is one of the things we’re asking SFD about for a followup, but in the meantime, if you see Ladder 13’s crew out and about in the next few days, you might consider taking the opportunity to say thanks for their West Seattle/South Park service.

ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: We had asked SFD some followup questions. Spokesperson Kyle Moore notes that West Seattle’s “permanent ladder truck,” Ladder 11, will continue to be based at Station 32 in The Triangle, staffed by a four-person crew. Regarding South Park, he says:

South Park is served by Fire Station 26 located at 800 South Cloverdale Street. The station is staffed 24 hours a day with four firefighters and a fire engine.

The loss off Ladder 13 will have a nominal impact on the response times to the South Park area. The Seattle Fire Department looked at response times with the bridge closure in order to ensure the residents of South Park received the same level of medical and fire care. Our analysis shows that response times were not significantly affected by the bridge closure.

He also notes that the Station 11 work isn’t likely to start before early 2014.

Share This

Block Watch Captains Network meeting Tuesday: Get ready for Night Out!
June 25, 2012 8:50 pm
|    Comments Off on Block Watch Captains Network meeting Tuesday: Get ready for Night Out!
 |   Crime | Preparedness | Safety | West Seattle news

Just days after their first-ever Appreciation Party (WSB coverage here), the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network is indeed having a regular meeting tomorrow night, 6:30-8 pm at the Southwest Precinct (if you come early, around 6 pm, there’s leftover Zippy’s root beer and Full Tilt Ice Cream from the party). The main topic: Getting ready for this year’s Night Out crime-prevention/community-building Block Parties. WSBWCN leaders explain, “If you want packets to pass out at your Night Out, you are welcome to come stuff your materials during the meeting. There will be bags for kids and adults with information about crime prevention and emergency preparedness.” P.S. Register your block for Night Out by going to this SPD webpage.

Share This

Video: Mayor, police, neighborhood heroes @ West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Appreciation Party
June 23, 2012 10:42 am
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle people

Block Watch Captains take on a big responsibility for their neighborhood – but don’t get paid, and don’t always get appreciated. Last night, the West Seattle Block Watch Captains Network‘s first-ever BW Captains Appreciation Party was an attempt at remedying that – inviting captains and their guests to a free catered dinner, with music, and dancing. And words of gratitude, from Mayor Mike McGinn – who thanked the captains, saying, “You answered the call for your community” – and police (for whom the mayor had appreciative words too, as he went on to discuss the May 30th shootings):

Among those in our clip (unintroduced, since they were hosting!) were WSBWCN’s leaders, two women who are captains themselves, Karen Berge and Deb Greer:

They made last night’s party happen, too, along with a committee of other volunteers lining up grants and sponsors (WSB joined in, which is why our banner’s in the background of this next photo).

Speaking of banners, WSBWCN has a new one too, shown off at the party (which was at the VFW Hall in The Triangle):

No Block Watch in your area? Here’s how to form one. To get involved with WSBWCN, keep an eye on their website for meeting info – (updated) next one is Tuesday, June 26, 6:30 pm, at the precinct (Delridge/Webster).

Share This

Followup: More Beach Drive safety enhancements planned
June 19, 2012 4:47 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

In addition to the new lighting quietly installed at Emma Schmitz Viewpoint last week (first reported by Beach Drive Blog), more safety-enhancing measures are on the way to the viewpoint and Me-Kwa-Mooks across the street. So says Seattle Parks, in its promised response to our inquiry last week for more information on the lighting and anything else that’s planned in the wake of the June 1st “safety walk” with Parks managers and Seattle Police leadership:

(WSB photo from June 1st)
Here’s the response, in its entirety:

Seattle Parks and Recreation response to West Seattle parks June 1, 2012 walk-through: What we have done and will do at Me-Kwa-Mooks Park and Emma Schmitz Viewpoint in the summer of 2012.

Pruning: Parks did most of the requested pruning in March.

• Parks removed a hedge on the east side of the street, opening up visibility into Me Kwa Mooks park and removing a barrier someone could hide behind.

• The crew lowered the hedge on the west side (Emma Schmitz Viewpoint) and did pruning to improve sight lines on the pines.

• Additional pruning called for in the following two items will be done by the end of June:

➢ A little more pruning was requested during the 6/1/2012 walk on one of the pines next to the bus stop. The pruning on this pine was done fairly recently. It was not clear if the requester realized this work had been done but we will look and see if any more work would make a difference.

➢ People pointed out the entrance to the trail that leads up the hill into Me Kwa Mooks Park. It is difficult to see the start of the trail and a tree planted there blocks visibility. We will try to improve visibility but the tree is healthy and should not be damaged or removed.

• Several people pointed out a corner as one goes down the south-most stairs. There is a weed (common names include American Bamboo and Knotweed) growing there. Unfortunately, if we cut it down now we will not be able to do management measures that were planned later in the summer or early fall (the best time to remove it effectively). The only effective way to deal with this problem is to wait. It is a very tough weed to control, and the management program will take years. It has been around for more than 20 years.

Lighting
• City Light suggested two lights that will increase lighting on the southernmost stairs. It appears they have already installed lighting on an existing pole. Thank you City Light!

Park Hours
• Parks will add a sign where people go down the first stairs on the south and will place another at the north end of the park. Need to confirm parks hours signs match the official hours.

Other
• There is a storytelling area built by a partner school about a block in from where the trail starts. The area has been used as an unofficial fire pit for many years. The crew will pull the blocks and post a temporary no fires sign. This will be done by end of June.

• Finally, Parks did not replace the screen around the sanican when it was destroyed last summer. There have been no complaints, and the visibility around the sanican is better without the screen for people walking down the street or using the sanican.

The “unofficial fire pit” was shown in our coverage of the June 1st safety walk, after a concerned neighbor led the way to point it out to us and interested participants after the walk.

Share This

Followup: New lighting at Beach Drive’s Emma Schmitz Overlook
June 15, 2012 9:59 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Two weeks ago tonight, Seattle Police and Parks personnel joined concerned community members (WSB coverage here) for a “safety walk” through Emma Schmitz Overlook Park. They heard again what had been voiced repeatedly in the two-plus months since the still-unsolved Beach Drive murder of Greggette Guy – the request for more lighting in the viewpoint area. As Beach Drive Blog first reported yesterday, their request has been granted – new lights have gone up. Surprisingly, this happened without a formal announcement, which you might expect when government agencies take action on a high-profile request from citizens. So we contacted the Seattle Parks media team this morning to follow up; at day’s end, spokesperson Karen O’Connor told WSB that police “recommended added lighting and ran it by Robert Stowers, our Southwest manager”; from there, Seattle City Light put up the lighting on existing poles. We asked O’Connor if more safety measures are planned; she expects to have that information on Monday

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: 4 reader reports
May 25, 2012 9:34 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Four West Seattle Crime Watch reports from the past few days – one prowling report, one burglary, and two car break-ins, all reported by WSB’ers. Read on for their firsthand reports:Read More

Share This

West Seattle beaches: Water-testing season begins at Alki
May 21, 2012 2:35 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   Health | Safety | West Seattle news

Rain or shine, investigator Eyob Mazengia from Seattle-King County Public Health was scheduled to sample water off Alki for health testing at midday today, and that he did – three containers, three samples. Out on the beach with him, a team from the state Department of Ecology, getting out the word that this is the start of water-sampling season. The BEACH (Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication, & Health) program – which includes regular testing at Lincoln Park – isn’t new, but the idea of scheduling a multimedia photo op is, according to Sandy Howard, who was out at Alki wrangling camera crews with whom BEACH program manager Julie Lowe was doing interviews. We asked her about the value of testing at beaches where people don’t swim much (like Alki):

The state team says that if they find high levels of bacteria at a beach, they will not only post signs, but also:

*Send a note to an e-mail list you can sign up for (here)
*Tweet, via the Ecology Department account
*Post on Facebook, where the BEACH Program has its own page

… so you can check out any of those channels to make sure the water’s safe!

Share This

Video: Beach Drive, the repaved and the not-yet-repaved
May 18, 2012 9:47 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

City crews spent much of this week repaving part of the section of Beach Drive that has had enough pits and ruts to rattle you from scalp to sole, and shake up the inner workings of your car/truck/motorcycle/bicycle, too. So we drove it this evening to show you the transformation – of the actual repaired section, anyway. Our :43 clip starts with the non-repaired section beneath the slide-plagued slope that has sparked a court fight (with mediation ahead, the city says), and then you’ll see how it transitions to the repaved section, in the 6200 block and a bit further south. Didn’t have the tripod in the car, so we dubbed the result Bumpycam, but it’s an accurate representation – try for yourself. (“Before” photo in our original May 8th report.)

Share This

Authorities investigate cat death north of The Junction
May 14, 2012 3:42 pm
|      50 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | Safety | West Seattle news

Police and the Seattle Animal Shelter are investigating a cat death reported north of The Junction this morning. The details are disturbing, so we’re putting this behind a jump from the home page:Read More

Share This

Happening now: Drug Take-Back Day at Southwest Precinct
April 28, 2012 11:41 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Health | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Photo by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
That’s Officer Mike Hope, who’s at the front desk in the Southwest Precinct, where you can drop off unneeded/expired medication (liquid too, for those who have asked) till 2 pm, as part of Drug Take-Back Day. The lobby entrance is off the parking lot, which you enter from SW Webster, just west of Delridge, south side of the building, and the front-desk window where you’ll find him is right inside.

Share This

Saturday morning notes: Alki car break-in; drivers, beware
April 28, 2012 11:19 am
|    Comments Off on Saturday morning notes: Alki car break-in; drivers, beware
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

Two notes this morning – first, from Brandon:

I guess I can add myself to the list of car-burglary victims.

My red Jeep was broken into last night on the 3000 block of Alki. They cut the soft top to steal a large item out of the back.

If anyone saw an individual carrying a large box (2’x2’x3′) between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. last night on Alki, the incident number with the Seattle Police Department is 12-129616.

Second note is a warning from us. Might have just been an accident – something falling – but also might have been thrown, so we reported it to police and wanted to mention it to you too: Within the past hour, as we drove eastbound on Sylvan Way, east of High Point, through the greenbelt area between the cemetery and the Delridge/Orchard commercial area, something large and heavy suddenly hit the right side of our windshield – sitting on that side of the car, looked to your editor here as if it fell straight down It left a semicircular crack in the glass and also scratched the hood before apparently sliding to the road. In case it had been thrown, we decided not to go back to look, and called 911 instead – they said they’d send an officer to “check the area.” (Not likely a case of something from an “unsecured load,” since there were no vehicles near ours.)

Share This

Drug Take-Back Day tomorrow: Southwest Precinct dropoffs
April 27, 2012 7:04 am
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Health | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

No need to have expired and/or unneeded prescription drugs around the house … they can be dangerous for a variety of reasons – theft, abuse, poisoning, even water pollution if someone mistakenly thinks it’s OK to flush them or throw them down the drain … Whatever you have on hand, there’s an easy way to get rid of it tomorrow via Drug Take-Back Day – drop them off at the Southwest Precinct (Delridge/Webster), 10 am-2 pm. Seattle Police precincts around the city are participating, and this update from their SPD Blotter website explains.

Share This

West Seattle schools: More safety $ for Highland Park Elementary
April 25, 2012 7:35 pm
|      6 COMMENTS
 |   Highland Park | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

That half-minute video clip represents the first time we’ve ever seen a uniformed Seattle Police officer demonstrate jump-rope moves. (Even after 30-plus years in the news business, there still are some firsts!)

But we’re getting ahead of the story.

SPD Community Outreach Officer Tomeka Williams was one of the visitors for a special assembly at Highland Park Elementary this afternoon, teaching about pedestrian safety and helping celebrate a new grant to make it a reality:

Right before the assembly, we photographed HP principal Ben Ostrom with SAFE Kids Seattle‘s Dr. Brian Johnston from Harborview Medical Center (bet you guessed that he’s the guy in the white coat!). The check says $25,000, and that’s being added to a different $75,000 grant. Pedestrian safety is REALLY important there because, among other things, the school has multiple arterials nearby – among them, Barton and Trenton. That’s why, besides jumping rope, Officer Williams offered advice including using the “stare face” to make sure a driver sees you, before you walk into the street:

Safety is part of the HPARK slogan through which the principal led his students:

The safety skills will be practiced with “Walking School Bus” events each Wednesday morning next month.

By the way – though she’s not in our visuals and tried to stay “behind the scenes,” it must be noted that one of the people instrumental in making all this happen is Highland Park Elementary parent Rachael Wright, who’s been working on pedestrian-safety issues surrounding the school, and getting grants to address them, in connection with a wide variety of groups and agencies. Congratulations!

Share This

West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighbors’ open call for partnership
April 18, 2012 10:29 pm
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighbors’ open call for partnership
 |   Crime | Safety | West Seattle news

With the Sunday night attack/robbery – and then last night’s chase/crash – Becky says her neighborhood wants to reach out to join forces with those nearby:

The Block Watch community of 18th Ave SW & Trenton … met to discuss the events of (Monday) night concerning a young woman being assaulted in our alley. This act of random violence is not only scary, but completely inconsistent with who we are as a community. We are families, friends and neighbors who want the simple peace of feeling safe on our street and in our homes. We want to be able to feel safe with our children playing outside. And we want to be empowered, as a community, to address this horrible event that has shattered that perspective for us.

We realize that the best way to heal the neighborhood impacted by such random violence is to work with our sister neighborhood Block Watches (or neighbors- we are not exclusive!). We have discussed some idea of how we can watch out for each other and be more vigilant. We tossed around ideas like offering to walk our neighbors home if they work the late shift in pairs. And we want to coordinate with the other neighborhoods and get some more ideas on how to prevent this from happening in our community. So if folks are interested in working with the Block Watch of 18th Ave SW & Trenton, please contact the SW Precinct for details on getting a hold of us. We have been coordinating with the Community Police Officer and appreciate the efforts of SPD to address this incident.

Along with publishing her message here, we also suggested that Becky reach out to the West Seattle Blockwatch Captains’ Network (which isn’t just for BW captains), which has been working to connect neighborhoods for crime prevention and safety. Their next meeting, by the way – open to all – is next Tuesday, April 24th, 6:30 pm at the Southwest Precinct, with “crime prevention through environmental design” the scheduled topic – helpful hints that you can use to reduce the chances your home will be targeted.

Share This

Reader report: ‘Cautionary tale’ after child finds syringe at beach
April 14, 2012 8:50 pm
|      20 COMMENTS
 |   Health | Safety | West Seattle news

West Seattle dad John e-mailed to share the story in hopes it might be “useful” to others – especially other families with children:

My two 8-year-old daughters and I went to Constellation Park this afternoon bringing our lunch and planned on staying for 2 or 3 hours.

Just shortly after we ate our lunch I turned around and saw my one daughter with a syringe in her hands. I told her to immediately put it down and she did. But I asked her if she had poked herself with it and she said yes – in her finger – and it did indeed appear that she had upon closer inspection.

So I grabbed the syringe (it still had its cap with it) and went back home and called the Swedish nurse hotline. They recommended that I take her to the emergency room immediately and bring the syringe with me.

Read More

Share This

West Seattle earthquake risk? New report for citywide briefing
April 5, 2012 1:53 pm
|      7 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

Next Monday, the City Council is scheduled to get a briefing on the U.S. Geological Survey‘s latest scientific analysis of earthquake hazards in Seattle. The briefing slides have just been published along with the meeting agenda – see the presentation here. It’s part of an every-six-years process to update the hazard maps so that building codes (etc.) can take the conditions into account. Here’s the big headline:

That said – the Seattle Fault is the one closest to West Seattle, and the presentation says the chance of an earthquake stronger than magnitude 6.5 on that fault in the next 50 years is about 5 percent. The rate of that kind of earthquake anywhere around Puget Sound in the next 50 years is about 15 percent. As for a mega-quake on the coast somewhere, around 9.0 magnitude (akin to the one last year in Japan)? 10 to 14 percent chance of happening in the next 50 years. But don’t get complacent … if a 7.0-ish quake happened on the Seattle Fault, we’d be in the “extreme shaking” zone, per this scenario:

We’ll await Monday’s briefing (9:30 am at City Hall) for more context. But in the meantime, be sure you’re prepared – westseattlebeprepared.org can help (including the “Emergency Communication Hubs” – memorize the location of the one nearest you!).

Share This

2 days till North Delridge community crime-fighting meeting
March 27, 2012 1:49 pm
|    Comments Off on 2 days till North Delridge community crime-fighting meeting
 |   Delridge | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle police

Two days till a special meeting to help North Delridge residents find out about crime trends and how to mobilize to protect themselves and their families. We first reported on the meeting plan on March 7th, the night Southwest Precinct operations Lt. Pierre Davis announced it at the SW District Council meeting. We checked back with precinct leadership for more details; Capt. Steve Paulsen explains that the focus is on Delridge and its neighboring streets, from the West Seattle Bridge to reopening-this-fall Boren School. Capt. Paulsen and Lt. Davis will provide crime information, and will introduce community members to the Community Police Team Officer for their area, Jon Kiehn, and precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator Mark Solomon. Everyone in North Delridge is welcome at the meeting, 7 pm Thursday (March 29th) in the precinct’s community room, along SW Webster just west of Delridge Way SW.

Share This

Beach Drive murder aftermath: SPD, Parks answer safety concerns
March 19, 2012 5:09 pm
|      44 COMMENTS
 |   Beach Drive murder | Crime | Safety | West Seattle news | West Seattle parks

(Sunday night photo by Karen Sykes)
Seattle Parks has just shared the response it is sending to people who have voiced concerns about safety along Beach Drive, in the aftermath of the so-far-unsolved murder of Greggette Guy, found dead offshore in the 3800 block one week ago today, remembered at a waterfront vigil and walk last night (WSB coverage here).

Thank you for getting in touch regarding the recent unsolved murder in West Seattle, and expressing your concerns about the safety of a stretch of Beach Dr. SW in the area where the young woman was found.

Following … is the text of a timely and thorough response to Sandi Repetowski from Capt. Steven Paulsen of the Seattle Police Department’s (Southwest) Precinct. In it he:

· Describes the low crime statistics for the area

· Recommends walking with a buddy and not alone

· Reports on his visit to the Alki Community Council meeting on Thursday, March 15

· Describes SPD’s plans to respond to the event with more patrols and its summer emphasis plan that they carry out from the third weekend in April through September

· Offers to have the SW Precinct Crime Prevention Coordinator, Mark Solomon, conduct an assessment using Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.

[editor’s note – the following is the SPD letter]

Thank you for taking the time to write in regard to your concern of lighting and general public safety in the area of Beach Drive SW. I am unable to provide any information in regard to the tragic homicide – in order not to compromise the integrity of the investigation, but I can provide you with some information that may assist you and your neighborhood.

I feel confident to tell you that Schmitz Park and Me Kwa Mooks Parks are safe. Activity in the parks does increase during the warmer weather months as it does the activity along Beach Drive and Alki. The particular area where the homicide occurred (along the beach) is also considered quiet and safe. The best advise we can provide our citizens is to always walk with another person and to be aware of your surroundings.

911 calls for the area are considered very low. In the past 15 months, the following 911 calls from citizens have been received…(the geographical area is from Alki Point to just south of Mee Kwa Mooks Park):

51 calls for suspicious persons (most of these occur during the day and during the warmer weather months)
25 calls for False residential alarms
21 calls for disturbances
11 calls for mental complaints
10 calls for Domestic Violence
8 calls for Harassment/assault/threats

Me Kwa Mooks Park (same 15-month window)
5 Parks Exclusions for inappropriate behavior
3 suspicious persons calls
3 fireworks complaints
2 complaints of noise disturbances
2 complaints of Mischief/Nuisance.
Note: No calls for Drugs or Graffiti (not that it is not occurring, just that folks are not reporting it)

On Thursday, March 15th, I attended the Alki Community Council Meeting. I updated the group on our annual summer emphasis plan that pertains to Alki and neighboring City Parks. The plan starts in or around the 3rd weekend of April and continues through September.

In regard to the recent homicide, I told the group that the Seattle Police Department is putting forth all the necessary resources in order to resolve this tragic event. I also provided a briefing on the quiet nature of the neighborhood and that they will see an increase in patrol cars in the area. I advised that the additional patrol cars will not change or help solve the homicide, but more for neighborhood peace at mind, given the fear a crime such as this creates for a normally quiet/tranquil neighborhood.

In regard to street lighting and/or Lighting near parks, I am more than happy to have our Crime Prevention Coordinator – Mr. Mark Solomon do a Crime Prevention Environmental assessment for the neighborhood. Mark is able to work closely with our Parks Department, City Light and SDOT folks if additional measures are needed.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write us in regard to recent events. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Lt. Pierre Davis at 206-233-2033 or Community Police Team Officer Ken Mazzuca at 206-386-1088.

Sincerely,

Captain Steven Paulsen
Seattle Police Department
Commander, Southwest Precinct

[editor’s note – the remaining text is how Parks closed its letter]

We appreciate suggestions for improvements to the site, and I’m sure SPD will consider them in the context of the CPTED assessment, which will involve Parks and Recreation, City Light, and Seattle Department of Transportation staff.

Thank you again for taking time to write, and we will let you know when the assessment is complete.

Speaking at last night’s vigil (the video is in our report), Ms. Guy’s father Gregg Smith referred to the area as a “deathtrap.”

ADDED 11 PM MONDAY: A Southwest Precinct sergeant, questioned about the case’s status at a neighborhood meeting in Arbor Heights tonight, said he had no new information that could be shared – but sought to assure those on hand that “a lot of resources” were being applied to the unsolved murder. (The meeting otherwise had nothing to do with the Beach Drive situation- it was a “living room conversation” meeting arranged by the local Block Watch captain a month earlier – and we’ll be writing the full story about it on Tuesday.)

Share This

West Seattle Greenways hears from Councilmember Rasmussen
March 19, 2012 8:37 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Greenways hears from Councilmember Rasmussen
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

The chair of the City Council’s Transportation Committee joined West Seattle Greenways members for their conversation Sunday afternoon at Pearls on Delridge, as did greenways supporters from other neighborhoods including Beacon Hill and Phinney Ridge. Councilmember Tom Rasmussen – a West Seattle resident and bicyclist – encouraged the group to bring its ideas to the council, but stressed that coordination is vital – representatives from various neighborhoods will be most effective, he said, if they stress their common goals first, and individual neighborhood needs after that. He also acknowledged that the city budget remains a challenge, but clear priorities can help hurdle that. Rasmussen also discussed the Bicycle Master Plan update that the city is launching (an item related to it is on this afternoon’s council agenda, in fact), since creation of Greenways could figure into it. (What’s a greenway, you ask? North Delridge Neighborhood Council transportation chair Jake Vanderplas, a leader in the local effort, explains it on the NDNC website. As another local leader, Stu Hennessey, wrote in the announcement we published in January, West Seattle advocates are hoping to see greenways on 26th SW and 21st SW for starters.)

Share This