Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, joined by Assistant Chief of Police Deanna Nolette and Seattle Fire Chief Harold Scroggins came to the West Seattle Junction on Friday Oct. 25 to shake hands and answer questions about public safety and other issues in the community. With stops at Husky Deli, Cupcake Royale and West 5 restaurant the city leaders were there in person in response to a letter that 160 business owners and business districts signed, that plus the potential funding cuts to the Navigation Team the council wishes to make. 

The seven-page letter addressed to the council said that “the criminal justice system must work for all of us, but today it fails everyone.”

The signees asked the elected council to invest in Mayor Jenny Durkan's pilot investment plan developed by the High Barrier Individual Work Group that was tasked with analyzing system breakdowns and shortfalls.

The pilot programs would include enhanced probation, case conferencing and rapid re-entry services with shelter and treatment for prolific offenders leaving jail.

Additional investments include crisis response services, community service officers and police emphasis patrols.

The letter also asked council members to use their oversight into the City Attorney’s Office after a System Failure Report Part 2 found about half of all non-traffic criminal cases failed to find meaningful resolution.

Just prior to the walkthrough Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nolette spoke about crime in Seattle noting that violent crime is down here as it is across the nation. "The purpose of these walks is to hear the experience of the people that are here," she said. Nolette said that "Staffing remains a critical problem. We're recruiting we're trying to retain and recruit as many people as we can."

She pointed out that data shows people are safe in West Seattle. Asked about the difference between last year and this with seven homicides in 2018 and none in 2019 she said, "Our gang unit has been incredibly successful in going out and doing aggressive investigations, identifying people with guns and people that are involved in shootings and getting those people into custody. I think that has really helped quell the violence."

Nolette said that making people feel safer has a lot do with environmental factors like painting over grafitti, trimming overgrown hedges, improving lighting, and doing environmental design work that literally prevents crime.