West Seattle, Washington
16 Tuesday
(WSB photo)
9:07 PM: Police are searching for a group of robbers who are reported to have taken the cash drawer from the 35th/Barton 7-Eleven store a little over half an hour ago. They are described on police radio as “unknown-race males, teens-twenties, black puffy jackets, hats, masks,” with a gun implied but not seen, getting away southbound on 35th. A K-9 team is joining the search.
9:13 PM: The trail is reported to have ended on 34th, where police suspect a getaway car was parked.
(L-R, Unified Care Team’s Ali Peters and Darius Foster, SW Precinct Capt. Krista Bair)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
We’ve already reported the two major headlines from last week’s quarterly Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting – an update on the shooting death of 15-year-old Sudaysi Ida, and news of a one-day retail-theft crackdown at Westwood Village.
Now, the rest of the news from the meeting, facilitated by Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite. Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair was there, Operations Lt. Nate Shopay too, community liaison Officer German Barreto, Unified Care Team director Ali Peters and UCT manager Darius Foster, who focuses on the south end via SDOT, plus two Community Service Officers and two reps from the mayor’s office.
PRECINCT UPDATE: After the two updates mentioned earlier. Capt. Bair opened the floor to Q&A. A resident of the 25th/Brandon area said “it’s an interesting place to live” – no break-ins or robberies on their block but they’re “surrounded by disorganized crime” within a few blocks – homes with too many people living there, ‘we’ve talked to the police ad nauseam and finally given up.” They’re trying to beat back the disorder. “Do you guys know roughly what the population in our precinct is?” Bair didn’t know (but we can offer the estimate of 115,000, since it’s West Seattle and South Park) – Satterwhite will look into it. Bair said “we have a staffing issue” but said she was very excited to hear that SPD hiring “is picking up in numbers – for a while it was trickling in”; not everybody qualified all the way through the process, but now they have 8 to 10 officer candidates going through the academy and they’re “feeling very positive … we’re moving in the right direction – getting some quality candidates.” Regarding the SW precinct, between the three watches, each one has about 20 people or so “BUT we don’t always have 20 people working at any given time.”
They launched into more detailed discussion of specific houses near the attendee’s block.
(WSB photos)
The SPD personnel working at the Southwest Precinct right now to sort and tag donated clothes are part of a first-of-its-kind donation drive. SPD’s Community Service Officers are often called on to help people in emergency situations with items like clothes, coats, even something as simple as socks … so they’re collecting donations today to be sure they have a stockpile. The Southwest Precinct is the first to do this; some of the donations will be stored downtown to help CSOs assist people all over the city.
At the precinct when we stopped by this past hour were Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite, CSOs Heslin and Huang, and Community Liaison Officer German Barreto. They told us they’re getting a lot of good stuff – they had been out of men’s pants, for example. What do they need most? we asked. Items that aren’t too closely fitted/sized – for example, sweat pants, in sizes that are flexible like small, medium, large, extra-large. Socks and hats are also welcome too. (But no used underwear.)
Satterwhite added that if you’re coming down during today’s drive, which continues until 3 pm in the community room just off the visitors’ parking lot on the south side of the precinct (2300 SW Webster), you’re also welcome to pick up a free steering-wheel lock if you need one.
And if you have clothing to donate but can’t get to the precinct today, email her and you can arrange a dropoff when the lobby is open (her address is on this page). CSO Heslin added that they might be able to pickup donations on Wednesdays, because that’s the day all CSOs work.
Also from last night’s Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council meeting – precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair told attendees that nine people had been arrested in an operation at Westwood Village earlier in the day. She said three stores – Target, Marshalls, and Ulta Beauty – had been reporting particularly egregious trouble with thieves, so they got some extra help to go after the problem. The newfound ability of the King County Jail to book misdemeanor suspects played a role in their ability to do this, Capt. Bair said, noting that six of the nine arrestees were booked into jail. Previously, without the ability to book such suspects, she said, “for a while it was a free-for-all there … today we let them know, that’s not the case.” The department’s General Investigations Unit and Community Response Group were involved, she said, making those nine arrests in three hours. “Those businesses really appreciated it.” We don’t have the suspects’ names yet but SPD says the charges they face include “theft, burglary, assault, and warrants.” (Our report on the major topic of the rest of last night’s meeting, the Unified Care Team, is still in the works.)
10:38 PM: SPD and SFD are in the 6400 block of 30th SW in High Point with a person who is reported to have a gunshot wound to the abdomen.
10:44 PM: The victim is being taken to the hospital. We haven’t heard a suspect description yet; dispatch told police one person had called in to report they’d heard gunshots, possibly from the “sidewalk or street.”
12:20 AM: We’re still waiting to hear back from SFD on the victim’s condition when transported. Dispatch audio from early in the incident describes him as a “juvenile male.”
1:30 AM: SFD spokesperson Kaila Lafferty tells WSB the shooting victim is 15 years old and was assessed in critical condition when being transported to the hospital.
(SPD photo)
7:20 AM: SPD says the teen died at the hospital. No arrest so far.
A texter asked about a big police response near 18th/Dawson on Puget Ridge at midmorning. Took a while to get the info but here’s what happened, according to police: It was a person-in-crisis call involving a 20-year-old man who was reported to be armed with a knife and threatening at least one family member. He was then reported to be out on foot in the neighborhood, possibly under the influence; police responded, finding him and talking with him. They asked him if he had a knife on him and though he didn’t answer, officers say he eventually took out a sheathed knife – with a four-inch-long blade – and tossed it into grass nearby. He was taken into custody without incident, according to police, for investigation of domestic-violence felony harassment, which the report says is cause for a mandatory arrest. They later also found pepper-spray gel in the suspect’s possession, according to the report narrative. The suspect was booked into jail. No one was reported injured.
Saturday (November 30) is the last day to answer this year’s Seattle Public Safety Survey. Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite says this was the representation from West Seattle neighborhoods as of midweek:
Alaska Junction – 103
Alki – 97
North Admiral – 92
Fauntleroy – 80
Roxhill/Westwood/Arbor Heights – 69
High Point – 56
Morgan – 55
Highland Park – 52
North Delridge – 48
South Delridge – 38
Pigeon Point – 11
(Not all West Seattle neighborhoods are represented because back when they came up with Micro-Community Policing Plans, those were the neighborhoods that had active community council. But you can reply to the survey no matter where you live in WS – just go here. Results – which are anonymous – eventually will be provided to the Seattle Police Department, though Seattle University administers the survey.
(SPD photo)
So how DID that car’s driver end up on a rooftop in The Arroyos just before 3:30 am today? We missed it in real time – it was a busy late-night – but SPD Blotter has just published followup information on the incident in the 10800 block of Arroyo Beach Place SW [vicinity map]. They say the 85-year-old Kirkland woman apparently “mistakenly accelerated forward from her parking stall, causing the vehicle to go over a ledge (and land) on top of an unoccupied parked car.” She wasn’t hurt but was taken to a hospital to be checked out – once SFD crews got her out.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The Southwest Precinct‘s commander spoke at the Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly lunch meeting today.
Captain Krista Bair, who’s been leading the precinct since summer, told WSB earlier this fall that community partnership is vital. Her interaction with community at this event started even before her speech; a Rotary member talked about how his 22-year-old car had been stolen twice – and recovered (as he told the story, he pointed out it was at the moment parked right outside the lunch venue, the West Seattle Golf Course banquet room) – thanks to an Automated License Plate Reader in Renton the first time. Capt. Bair confirmed SPD cars have that technology too.
Taking the mic at the front of the room a short time later, Capt. Bair said she’s a former West Seattle resident now living in Burien – and she almost immediately launched into Q&A. The first question was about a particularly egregious case and why not everyone was booked into jail; Capt. Bair said, “I’m just as dumbfounded as you are,” and noted that the question related to an incident involving juveniles, but said “I don’t have an answer for you, but don’t give up, as community, come together and collaborate.”
Second question had to do with the car shootings a few nights ago. “I’ve been told we should call in even if others have – right?” The captain replied, “That’s a perfect example of needing the community in order for us to do our work. …. We have certain priorities, bullets being shot are a priority.” But depending on what’s going on, staffing citywide can be “triage,” and she acknowledged that responses can be “frustrating. … each and every time, even if you know other people are calling … it shows there’s a need for resources in that area …” and be patient with the 911 calltakers “trying to get information” so officers can be fully informed.
What about Southwest Precinct staffing? She noted that the precinct has about 80 deployable people. 4 am-2 pm is first watch. The department has arbitrary minimums – if 10 is the minimum for that shift, for example, should they be below that level, they’ll reach out across the city to try to fill the vacancies. Second watch is 11 am to 9 pm, so the first/second overlap is when they usually would have the most people on the street, with a 12 or 13 minimum. Third watch is 7 pm to 5 am. Officers are “augmenting” – filling the vacancies – a lot, she said. Training and time off, among other things, take people out of the mix.
The next person with a question discussed a street encounter and how he learned about the “keywords” the 911 operators pick up. He mentioned a person with a possible gun – and a fast response ensued.
What are the crime stats and trends? the next person asked. Capt. Bair said crime prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite, who had accompanied her, would have to look that up. (Satterwhite said year-to-year stats as of a few days ago showed a 10 percent increase in property crime, while auto theft is down 30 percent in the precinct – and they’re still giving away steering-wheel locks.) But there’s a weekly meeting about “shots fired” incidents, for example, and citywide hotspots are discussed; there are also meetings about trends like the store robberies, and there’s a “plan of action” (apparently beyond the recent arrests).
Next question: Are the juvenile criminals organized, as in gangs, or more random? Capt. Bair said “depends on who you ask” and noted that the Gun Violence Response Unit is really a gang unit too. But while the juvenile robbers are “very organized,” they aren’t necessarily a “gang,” she said.
Next question: What recruiting tools does SPD have available? Capt. Bair said the officers themselves are the best recruiting tool, in her view, “and I tell my officers that on a regular basis.” She said interim Chief Sue Rahr has been a good influence on the process too, as boosting the recruiting has been her top job. They’re also campaigning for lateral transfers – officers who are working somewhere else. She said that it’s not just her 30 years of experience that has her saying she feels the department is excellent – well-trained, and dedicated people.
She also said that Rahr has created a program called “Trust-Centered Leadership,” which includes communication, cultural awareness, and self-care – “the bottom line, the goal is always the same, to serve the people you are here to serve and help.” As an example, she mentioned going to the East Precinct just as it reopened after the CHAZ abandonment. As a lieutenant, she learned some important management skills with that experience, needing to recognize the mindset of the people you’re leading, not just your own. And she again mentioned that Chief Rahr is here just because she is passionate about the work – she came out of retirement to do this, after all. Right now officers don’t have time to do much more than go from 911 call to 911 call but hopefully that will change when staffing increases in the next few years.
Final question, about the 12th/Jackson trouble spot on the south side of downtown – what can the police due about the prevalent drug use and suffering? Capt. Bair replied “continue with enforcement …is the quick answer.” But the questioner said he had never seen any sign of police response. Bair said “getting the right people out there” is the best answer – the city’s CARE team, for example. Mental-health professionals, case managers, others are needed. “We need other partners to assist us with that … right now the CARE department has been phenomenal.” Officers get dispatched too and then hand off to the CARE team members, so they can move on to calls that truly require an officer.
She was presented with a book of nature photographs by Art Wolfe, as a token of appreciation for her appearance.
OTHER ROTARY NOTES: A recent fundraiser brought in more than $1,600 for fighting hunger; the club also will be volunteering at a local food-distribution center in lieu of next Tuesday’s lunch gathering … 19 trees, 3 wreaths, and 2 gift baskets have been donated for the upcoming Festival of Mini-Trees that the Rotary is presenting on December 4.
Three notes in West Seattle (and vicinity) Crime Watch, plus an announcement:
GUNFIRE DAMAGES ACCESS BUS: A reader tipped us to this South Park incident, and now police have released a summary:
At 4:15 am (Friday), a Metro Access Van was transporting a single rider to an appointment in the early morning hours. When the van was traveling near 14 Ave S/ S Cloverdale St, the vehicle occupants observed a passenger compartment window shatter. Believing it might have been a rock, the vehicle continued to the original destination. The operator eventually discovered possible bullet damage and notified the supervisor who in turn called 911. Officers responded to the Access facility and contacted the (person who reported it). Bullet damage was verified, and evidence was collected.
If you have any information, the incident # is 24-323338.
Two reader reports:
GAS THEFT, AGAIN: The photo and report are from Jeff:
I came out to my truck this morning to find that someone drilled a hole in the gas tank to steal gas. This is the second time it has happened in a little over a year. Located off 44th and Genesee. If anyone heard or saw anything, it would be helpful.
No police-report number yet, nor for this one:
GARAGE BREAK-IN: From Scott:
(Saturday) night starting at 3 am, on the 41st Ave SW block between Hinds and Manning, someone broke into our garage and stole a bunch of tools. Our video camera captured this image of the person.
Please let people know to lock their belongings!
Also, just announced:
NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING WITH POLICE: Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite has just announced the next Crime Prevention Council meeting (and remember, the “council” is really just everyone who shows up) for 6:30 pm Thursday, December 5. In addition to updates from precinct leaders, you will get a chance to learn about the Unified Care Team, the multi-department team that deals with encampments around the city. The agenda is in our calendar listing; the precinct is at 2300 SW Webster.
10:30 PM: Police have blocked Beach Drive in both directions near Canada [map] because of a standoff with a suspect believed to be in crisis. Avoid the area.
11:04 PM: They’ve just taken the man into custody. We still haven’t heard what led to this, but will follow up.
11:18 PM: Police just told dispatch they’re reopening Beach Drive both ways.
ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: Here’s the summary we just obtained from police:
On 10/29/24 at approximately 2110 hours [SPD responded] to reports of a domestic violence disturbance in the area of 62nd Av SW and Alki Av SW. Upon arriving on scene, I was not able to locate victim and (we) learned … the victim left the scene for safety concerns. The victim was contacted a short time later and was met at their residence.
The victim felt threatened by the suspect and the suspect threatened self-harm. Officers established probable cause to arrest the suspect.
Patrol officers attempted to contact the suspect several times inside a residence and eventually made contact. The Sgt was able to talk the suspect into exiting the home and he was taken into custody without incident at approximately 2303 hours.
The suspect was arrested for Investigation of Burglary-DV and booked into King County Jail.
12:52 PM: Police are converging on West Seattle’s only tiny-home village, Camp Second Chance (9701 Myers Way S.), after a report of gunfire from a unit on the south side of the complex. No word of injuries so far. Police are advising people at the camp to evacuate. People in the area might see the Guardian One helicopter joining the search for the suspected shooter, whose identity police apparently know. Myers Way is closed in the vicinity.
1:02 PM: The suspected shooter is likely still in his unit, police are saying.
1:43 PM: This is basically a standoff now, No resolution yet.
2:07 PM: Guardian One left because police are confident the situation is contained to the camp – they are not searching beyond it.
2:14 PM: The suspect is reported to be talking with officers about surrendering.
2:25 PM: The suspect is in custody, per SPD.
2:43 PM: Myers Way has not reopened yet, so use alternative routes a while longer.
(WSB photos)
8:11 PM: SPD and SFD have converged on the 7800 block of Detroit SW – at or near Shree’s Truck Stop – to investigate a reported shooting. The ~50-year-old man who is reported to have been shot is or was in a car – police don’t know yet whether he was shot there, or driven there after being shot elsewhere.
8:14 PM: Police just told dispatch the shooting happened at the scene where the victim was found.
8:16 PM: Officers have just told dispatch the victim has died.
8:49 PM: We are at the scene. Police say no one is in custody and they have no information on suspects. Adding scene photos.
10:32 PM: Police have just posted about this on SPD Blotter but the only new detail is that the victim was 53. If you have any information, they ask that you call 206-233-5000.
NOTE: This is the sixth non-vehicular homicide in West Seattle so far this year, after 15-year-old Mobarak Adam‘s shooting death at Southwest Pool/Teen Center in January, 22-year-old Luis Solis Lara‘s shooting death on Duwamish Head in June, 53-year-old William Tappe‘s beating death in the east Junction area in June, 32-year-old Laupule Talaga‘s shooting death in The Triangle last month, and 57-year-old Tammy Towers Parry‘s shooting death south of The Junction on October 1.
ADDED: We just went through the archives; six was the West Seattle homicide total for all of 2023. And one of those was a deadly shooting at the Delridge Shree’s gas station – the victim was shot there, drove away, and died exiting the West Seattle Bridge.
WEDNESDAY UPDATE: Police are not releasing any additional information. Today, however, the Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as 53-year-old Oton Garcia Ruiz, cause of death “gunshot wound to torso.”
The City Council gave final approval today to the plan for a Seattle Police pilot program to use surveillance cameras in four areas of the city. None of them are in West Seattle, but the bill includes an amendment from District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka requiring SPD to study possibly using cameras in the Alki/Harbor Avenue area. We reported on this after the Public Safety Committee, for which Saka serves as vice chair, passed it two weeks ago. Actually authorizing cameras in Alki/Harbor would require separate legislation at some point in the future, so don’t expect to see them any time soon. The areas of the city where the bill does authorize cameras are downtown, Aurora, Belltown, and Chinatown/ID. Opponents have voiced privacy concerns; Saka acknowledged cameras bring “potential non-trivial privacy challenges,” but he and colleagues including Public Safety Committee chair Councilmember Bob Kettle contend there will be plenty of safeguards and oversight. Saka also contended video is needed as a “force multiplier,” and noted that if it’s eventually deployed for Alki/Harbor, that could help people who are “suffering from PTSD … because of what’s been going on down here.” The discussion of this item starts 2 hours and 8 minutes into the Seattle Channel recording of the meeting.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We need our community.”
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair says that’s truer than ever while SPD works to rebuild its ranks.
We talked with her earlier this week at the precinct, our first opportunity for a sit-down conversation since she took over more than three months ago as leader of the officers assigned to West Seattle and South Park.
Before getting into how the precinct works – and how the community factors into what police do – we asked about how she found this profession, which has her now serving as the first woman to lead this precinct, in a department where women comprise only about 15 percent of the sworn staffing. This month marks 29 years since Capt. Bair started her policing career. In very early adulthood, she worked in her family business – an Arizona restaurant – for a while. “It was great preparation for interacting for the public, time management, customer complaints …” She might have stayed in the family business but she didn’t want to stay in Arizona: “I’m just not a hot-weather person.” Her interest in Seattle was piqued by movies like “Sleepless in Seattle” and “Singles.” Her interest in police work traces to TV shows like “Cagney and Lacey” and “Charlie’s Angels.” (The Angels were private detectives, close enough.) In the beginning, she says, police work wasn’t what she expected – she looked younger than her early-20s age, so “I thought they’d put me in schools. Didn’t happen.” But she found fulfillment in the work anyway. “I’ve always wanted to help people. … I’m a very optimistic individual.”
(Photo sent by Kathy)
Thanks for the tips. More trouble for Easy Street Records – two days after flooding damage inside, one of the shop windows was broken from outside, around 7 am. Police found a shrieking woman, took her into custody, and called for medical assistance; one of the people who told us about this, Kathy, says people nearby setting up for the Farmers’ Market told her that the woman apparently had thrown herself against the window. SFD tells us, “A crew was dispatched and treated an adult female in crisis. The patient was transported to the hospital by AMR.”
(WSB photo from Tuesday)
The woman shot and killed at a house south of The Junction on Tuesday was identified this afternoon, and police have released more information on what they believe happened. We’ve already added the new details to our original Tuesday report, but are also publishing this separate update.
First, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, she was 57-year-old Tamara (“Tammy”) Towers Parry, and she died of “multiple gunshot wounds.” She was a longtime physician who gained notoriety in 2021 for a video indicating she was at the January 6 U.S. Capitol riot.
Police said in the hours after her death that the shooting involved her and two other people. Today they confirmed those two other people had come to her house with “papers.” (Her house was listed here as being in “pre-foreclosure/auction” status for $225,000 “unpaid balance”; a “notice of trustee sale” filed with King County in May says it was scheduled for auction two weeks ago.) Police say Ms. Towers Parry “presented a shotgun” and that one of those people, a 40-year-old man, shot her with his handgun. After the SPD update was published, we asked police to clarify that she did not fire her shotgun and SPD spokesperson Det. Brian Pritchard replied, “The shotgun was not fired.” Police also say they recovered both guns involved and that no one was under arrest, but the investigation continues.
(Reader photo, Mounted Patrol at Alki Beach, 2023)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
As city councilmembers dig into Mayor Harrell‘s budget proposal, they have a West Seattle-specific cut to consider:
14 years after the Seattle Police Department last tried to disband its Mounted Patrol Unit, the last one in the region, based next to Westcrest Park in southeast West Seattle, the unit is on the chopping block again, as a way to save just under a quarter-million dollars from an SPD budget that is proposed to jump from $395 million this year to $457 million next year.
A reader called our attention to this by forwarding a letter that Mounted Patrol members have drawn up, pleading for help to save what’s left of “the last Mounted Patrol Unit in the Pacific Northwest.” More on that in a moment. First, here’s what we found in the budget itself: The proposed cut is on page 362 of the mayor’s full citywide budget plan, sent to the City Council last Tuesday:
Remove Support For SPD’s Mounted Patrol Unit
Expenditures $(230,030)This item eliminates General Fund support of the department’s Mounted Patrol Unit (MPU), including 1.0 FTE Equipment & Facilities Coordinator, three unbudgeted part-time temporary maintenance laborers, and associated operating costs. Sworn positions currently assigned to the MPU will continue to be funded by the General Fund but will be reassigned elsewhere in the department.
(WSB photo, 2023)
The unit has only two sworn positions assigned to it; as explained to us during an “open barn” at MPU HQ last year, if they need more help, officers are temporarily reassigned from elsewhere in the department. At the time of our visit, the unit had six horses plus mini-horse Li’l Sebastian.
In the new budget proposal, this is the only SPD service/unit specifically called out for cutting, The increased spending in the SPD budget (page 359) includes $10 million more for overtime to fund “emphasis patrols” (no geographical specifics but in the past these have included extra officers for summer nights on Alki), $2 million for the “Real-Time Crime Center,” $2 million for “scheduling and timekeeping software,” and $1.2 million to add more school-zone speed-enforcement cameras (of course eventually expected to pay for themselves).
(WSB photo, Morgan Junction Community Festival this past June)
The Mounted Patrol’s mission has changed over the years; when the unit was proposed for disbanding in 2010, its crowd-control attributes were discussed; more recently, its major function has been community relations. That’s pointed out in the support-seeking letter that was sent to us. See the full letter here; the text is as follows:
Loyal Supporter,
We need your help!Horses have been a cherished part of the Seattle Police Department for almost 150 years; with the modern inception of the Mounted Unit being established in 1973 with eight horses, seven officers, and one sergeant. Today it is diminished to 1 dedicated sergeant and 1 full time Officer with civilian support barn staff, and it is the last remaining Mounted Patrol Unit in the Pacific Northwest.
In its early years, the Unit’s primary mission was to patrol the 5,000 acres of City parks. Its secondary mission was crowd control and management during largescale events. In the 1980s the unit further evolved, with patrol duties expanded to include the downtown waterfront business districts and residential areas, in addition to the 5,000 acres of City parks.
Today the Unit’s heart and soul is its commitment to the communities of Seattle and beyond, helping build a bridge between community members and law enforcement by not only patrolling neighborhoods, parks and the downtown Seattle corridor, but also through its participation in countless community events and celebrations. As a secondary, but no less important mission, the Seattle Police Mounted Unit is an integral part of honoring fallen law enforcement officers for a myriad of surrounding agencies, providing a longtime, honored tradition of the Riderless Horse for all line of duty death memorials across the Pacific Northwest.
To the point of our letter, we are having a moment of de ja vu. The Seattle Police Department has announced its intention to close the doors of this treasured piece of heritage. It is with a heart-wrenching plea that we write to you today, begging you to help rally the troops, warm up your voices and help us save our unit, the last Mounted Patrol Unit in the Pacific Northwest. Once it is gone, there is no bringing it back, ask the Portland Police Department. You’ve done it before when budget shortfalls at the City put the MPU in jeopardy in 2010, and we need you to do it again!
Help us by spreading the word to other community members and Mounted Unit supporters. Write letters to the Chief’s office, including all the Assistant Chiefs and Deputy Chief, beseech City Councilmembers, share your stories that include the Mounted Unit and our beloved Police Horses, make them see that we are more than a line item on a budget sheet, that our impact goes beyond today, that we are an integral part of One Seattle.
Warmly,
Seattle Police Mounted Patrol Team
Various contact addresses are listed on the letter‘s second page.
Back in 2010-2011, when then-Mayor Mike McGinn‘s budget called for cutting the Mounted Patrol Unit, the nonprofit Seattle Police Foundation came forward with funding to save it. That support lasted for a few years; in 2014, as we reported at the time, then-Mayor Ed Murray‘s budget restored general-fund support, calling the unit a “valuable public service.” (The police budget for 2015 was $298 million.) We’ll be contacting the SPF about the new unit-cutting proposal; it has continued to provide some support for the MPU, as we noted in this story last year.
(WSB photo, 2023)
Other questions so far include what would happen to the unit’s headquarters in Highland Park if the Mounted Patrol is indeed disbanded. Its upkeep has included a significant amount of community volunteer work, including beautification of the grounds. We’ll be following up.
WHAT’S NEXT: The proposed budget is now in the City Council’s hands to review and shape before a final vote in November. Right now the council is hearing department-by-department overviews; SPD is scheduled to make its presentation during the council session starting at 9:30 am Tuesday (October 1). The agenda includes a public-comment period, as do most other council meetings; the first budget-specific public hearing is set for October 16.
ADDED 2:24 PM: SPD has published a statement this afternoon about its plan to disband the unit. The statement says in part that “as SPD continues to recover from loss of hundreds of officers over the past four years, we have to carefully prioritize how to use existing scarce resources. The highest priority is maintaining the ability to respond quickly to emergency calls, and effectively investigate dangerous criminal behavior so the community is protected. This requires that we reduce resources for work that does not directly support these two priorities.”
8:30 PM: For those asking about the big police response along Delridge Way just south on SW Thistle – police were dealing with what was logged as a person-in-crisis situation at an apartment complex. The man at the heart of it was armed. He’s been taken into custody and police recovered the gun. He’ll be taken to Harborview for a mental-health evaluation, according to emergency radio.
ADDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON: From the SPD summary of the incident:
At (6:44 pm), Officers responded to a crisis call located at the 8400 BLK of Delridge Wy SW. The details of the call indicated that there was a male in crisis with a firearm saying that he can see clowns and ninjas and that he wanted to hurt them. Officers arrived and contacted the subject on the phone. Officers contained the apartment building. The subject was initially inside of his apartment, but he decided to exit and continuously knock on his neighbor’s door. The subject damaged his apartment windows. Officers also contacted the complainant to determine if a crime was committed. … The subject eventually came outside, and he was placed in handcuffs. Officers recovered three BB guns that looked like real firearms. The subject was transported to the hospital on an (Involuntary Treatment Act commitment).
6:07 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “scenes of violence” response to the Westwood area for a report that a woman has been stabbed. SFD is staging near 30th/Trenton but police are also responding to a scene on Cloverdale, and have a possible suspect detained.
6:12 PM: We don’t yet know exactly where it happened; circumstances sound relatively chaotic. Police are also checking on a report of a fight near the 26th/Trenton RV encampment.
(Added: WSB photos)
6:23 PM: Our crew reports a woman being treated on Trenton and is headed over to the 24th/Cloverdale scene where a man is reported to have a stab wound to the knee. No life-threatening wounds reported; the weapon is described as scissors. The circumstances now are being referred to as “domestic violence.”
6:33 PM: That’s also what a police sergeant tells us at the scene, adding that the man in custody, suspected of attacking the injured woman, is the man with a leg wound.
ADDED: SFD said both were in stable condition when taken to Harborview; the man is 26, the woman 24.
Another major event this week – the first community meeting with police at the Southwest Precinct since March (here’s our coverage of that one). Officers from the precinct have attended neighborhood-group meetings during that time, but Wednesday (September 11) will bring the first meeting to be held under the Southwest Precinct Crime Prevention Council banner since March. The “council” is really just whoever shows up, rather than an official organization (which it used to be, years ago). The meeting is being organized by the precinct’s Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite. She says they’ll be held quarterly. This time, the guest speakers are District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka and Southwest Precinct leadership (the precinct has changed commanders since last meeting, now led by Capt. Krista Bair). All are welcome; start time is 6:30 pm Wednesday in the community room, which is right off the parking lot on the south side of the building at 2300 SW Webster.
7:32 PM: If you’ve been noticing the police report on California south of The Junction – here’s how it’s played out over police radio: First there was a report of a man “covered in blood” with a possible stab wound near California/Lander. Police couldn’t find anyone. Then reoprts started coming in about a man “covered in blood” possibly carrying a pistol, in The Junction, Police have just caught up with a man who they believe is the person reported in both calls – and they say he’s covered in feces, not blood. They have taken him into custody at California/Dawson, though it’s not clear if any crime has been committed – one witness is reported to have told police the man dropped “the gun” near where police caught up with him.
7:37 PM: Our photographer says police at the scene (by Rite Aid) confirm the aforementioned circumstances. No gun found so far. What happens to him next, we haven’t yet heard.
11:54 PM: We only have a fraction of the story on this so far, but several people have asked, so we’re reporting what we’ve heard at this point: Police were called to North Admiral shortly after 11 pm for what the dispatcher initially said sounded like an attempted carjacking. Two areas about two blocks apart have been mentioned – the 1900 block of 44th SW and the 4300 block of SW Holgate. One juvenile suspect was being detained at the scene; someone else was reported to have gotten away in a black Honda, last seen headed west on Holgate. Somewhere in all this, there was gunfire. No one was treated at the scene, but police asked dispatchers to alert local hospitals in case anyone showed up with a gunshot wound. The juvenile suspect is in custody. That’s all we know so far.
2:06 AM: Going into the audio archives from early in this incident – the shots were reported fired by someone “in defense of” the victims, fired as the vehicle left the scene “with seven or eight suspects” inside. That person was still at the scene talking with police (after setting down his gun at their request).
ADDED 1:14 AM SUNDAY: Just received the police summary:
The incident occurred at (11:05 pm Friday) in the 4300 BLK of SW Holgate St. The owner of a vehicle came outside her house and saw four to five suspects inside her vehicle. The suspects were attempting to steal the vehicle. She notified her uncle and friend about the incident. The suspects exited the vehicle, but one of them left his cell phone inside the victim’s vehicle. The uncle grabbed the cell phone from inside the car and threw it on the ground. One of the suspects charged the uncle and he was afraid of being assaulted. The friend of the family fired a warning shot and two more shots at the suspects’ vehicle. The suspects fled the scene. The suspects left one juvenile behind who was arrested and booked at [the juvenile detention center] for attempted/auto theft. The firearm was recovered and submitted to evidence. … The male who shot at the suspects was investigated & released at the scene.
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