Ballard and Fremont have been chosen as two of seven neighborhoods in Seattle to receive more police patrols as part of what the city calls a “pre-summer emphasis program.”
According to a statement from Mayor Jenny Durkan’s office, the areas were selected based on community feedback and data analysis. Other neighborhoods chosen include downtown, near the Third Avenue corridor around Pike and Pine; SoDo; South Park; Georgetown; and Pioneer Square.
“Residents can expect to see increased visibility by SPD officers, and in some cases, criminal investigations of activity in these emphasis areas,” according to the statement. “SPD will evaluate the impact to understand continued and future deployments in those and other areas.”
In addition to more police, other city departments will address maintenance needs in the seven neighborhoods, such as replacing streetlights, trimming trees, removing graffiti, and removing debris from illegal dumping.
“We have a responsibility to promote the vitality and safety of our neighborhoods and communities,” Mayor Durkan said. “We will continue to advance livability and public safety through data-driven, proactive strategies and listening to community. We are taking additional immediate steps to not just make communities safer, but to partner with communities on ways we can make neighborhoods cleaner and more vibrant.”
Chief of Police Carmen Best said the increased police activity in the seven neighborhoods won’t take away from normal patrols elsewhere in the city.
“We hope that added police resources, partnered with enhanced services from other City departments, will make a positive impact for our businesses and residents,” Best said.
For the next few weeks, several city departments — Seattle Police, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light, the Seattle Department of Transportation, Department of Neighborhoods, the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Office of Economic Development, and the Human Services Department — will form teams that will aim to work with communities to identify areas that need maintenance. Those teams will conduct “neighborhood walks” with community members to identify priority work that the city will then address.