By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
The last person to comment at this afternoon’s Roxhill Park community-safety meeting got to the heart of the matter:
The panel at the head of the crowded meeting room was full of enforcers and responders. The problem ultimately belonged in the laps of the policymakers.
But none of them were there, though otherwise it was an impressive assemblage of panelists facing the room at Village Green West Seattle (WSB sponsor), which organized the meeting with Southwest Precinct crime-prevention coordinator Jennifer Satterwhite.
Director Eva Thomas opened, asking for civility for a “constructive dialogue where everybody has the right to be heard.”
Represented agencies, departments, and teams included:
Unified Care Team
Seattle Police
Seattle Fire
King County Sheriff’s Office
Seattle Parks and Recreation
Satterwhite facilitated.
She first gave the mic to UCT representatives (above) who talked about their processes. She said their goal is “to keep places safe and accessible,” citywide.
Next UCT rep was the regional manager for this area, Darius Foster. He also talked about processes. “Harm reduction strategies” are their focus, he said, from service provision to cleanup. “At the end of the day our goal is to resolve.a location.” He said their response is not based on the number of service requests they get. He also said there are legal rules they have to follow – including outreach before a clearance. They do need some SPD response, as on-site secuity: “They are not engaged with unhoused individuals unless they absolutely need to be.” Safety, dignity, and compassion are important, he said. They also have to plan ahead – several weeks to several months – and they are well aware sites are often repopulated soon after clearances. But they try to ensure that “the temperature is lowered” and the sites don’t become as bad as they had been.
An Alternative Response Team rep spoke next- they are law-enforcement officers, he explained. (Lt. Ziemer is the commander of the unit.) Safety issues are brought to his attention, and this one rose higher on the UCT’s list after the shooting.
A Parks rep spoke next.He said Park Rangers have beefed up their patrols of Roxhill Park “for at least the next few weeks.” He was followed by a Parks rep who said Roxhill Park has two fulltime maintenance personnel who go there every day. Right now they’re working to “open up” the trail that leads from the bus stop,
Monty Powell, Village Green’s owner, spoke first in Q&A: “This is a serious problem.” He asked if the city can clear “the secrecy” out of the park. He also asked if police can remove troublemakers as trespassers. “What they’re doing out there is destroying the value of this community.” He was applauded.
The Parks crew rep said “we are working to open up some sightlines” but also said the park’s bog can’t be entirely cleared of vegetation, for ecological reasons.
Powell expressed a request to collaborate with Parks, saying they share a 600-foot line. Parks mentioned the experiment to bring back water to the box, and said the first section involved in the experiment has water and is not encamped, so they hope to expand that.
Asked about trespassing, the Alternative Response rep said they have to follow the MDAR rules. They also could enforce Parks trespassing rules. “So it can be enforced, but will it be?” asked Powell. That’s up to the responding officer, he said.
So if an individual is setting up a tenant, are they breaing the law? Yes, but there’s a clear set of city rules about how that can be addressed. The UCT rep underscored that, noting there is a distinct set of rules for addressing encampments as opposed to individuals.
Another man said signage says no one’s allowed in the park 11-7 (overnight), but people are there, and he doesn’t feel safe.
Satterwhite asked precinct Operations Lt. Pat Daley how SPD would respond to crime in an encampment. He urged that criminal activity be reported to 911.
What if an illegal fire is reported? SFD Lt. Shata Stephenson with the city Fire Marshal’s office said they evaluate whether there’s a safety risk to firefighters, and what kind of risk the fire poses.
An attendee mentioned numerous calls about fires and was told they wouldn’t come out because the fire was contained. But smoke is an issue, she said. Lt. Stephenson said if it’s a small fire they might not put it out.
Next attendee to speak said he’s concerned because “We’re dancing around the problem.” He also said the smoke causes irritation. He said the smoke is the problem, a “public hazard,” not the housing status of the person. He was concerned about action not being taken because “it’s an encampment.” But in response, Foster from the UCT says encampment status doesn’t mean no action. He said they’re working on policies and are determine to ensure this site doesn’t get back to what it was. But a lot of multi-level collaboration is needed.
The next person to speak said he has teenage daughters who have been harassed in the park. He says his parking lot has crime with perpetrators that leave him feeling like he is the intruder. He said he’s never wanted to own a gun but is thinking about it now.
An attendee then called out from the audience that “they have more rights than we do” because of the rules and policies.
Southwest Precinct commander Capt. Krista Bair said bluntly, “We can’t enforce our way out of homelessness …We are working on it as a city.” She said they are “trying to get creative” with enforcing laws. She brought up the “extraordinary amount of theft” at Westwood Village and how they are working on that, in collaboration with businesses.” The theft-targeted businesses are seen by some as a source of “free stuff” and they’re working on taking that away. She said, “Things have changed,” since she returned to patrol operations in 2021. She is encouraged.that the two new tiny-home villages in West Seattle and South Park will help matters by getting more people off the street and on their feet. They do what they can to enforce laws in the meantime, but staffing remains an issue, Capt. Bair said – they have 10 officers per shift on a good day, and sometimes all they can do is “triage.” She agreed that it’s disheartening but “we all are aware” and the community can help: Online reports, calls to the non-emergency line,private security camera video. Even just being at a meeting like this helps. Don’t move from the area, she urged – stay and fight. She also noted there had been a clearance last weekend just east of Chief Sealth International High School.
A King County Sheriff’s Office detective from the transit unit – therefore responsible for buses and bus stops – spoke briefly. He was followed by a volunteer from A Cleaner Alki who said they’ve cleaned up Roxhill Park many times. She said they’ve offered a lot of ideas about things that could be changed in the park “to make it less inviting” to troublemakers, particular drug users/sellers. “Move the places that people do their drugs,” like benches. The Parks and Rec staffer said they have a staffing challenge too. “Our staff are going out there every day and filling their trucks with at least three loads of trash,” but they have to tend to dozens of other parks too.
UCT at that point said a tent or structure constitutes an “encampment.”
Another question was about bus stops and it was reiterated that KCSO is responsible for those – but if something is happening now, call 911.
And the last person to speak said that those who came to answer questions are “enforcers,” but not policy-makers, and they need to have a face-to-face with them. (No elected officials were in attendance, but Michael Taylor-Judd from City Councilmember Rob Saka’s office was in the audience.
We recorded the entire meeting on video and will add that when it’s ready.