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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Police Chief announces enhanced downtown safety patrols
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
8/16/2007 10:30:00 AM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Kappel (206) 684-5520
Police Media Relations (206) 684-5520
Renee Witt (206) 684-5520
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Police Chief announces
enhanced downtown safety patrols
Downtown businesses already seeing a difference
SEATTLE—Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske announced today an enhanced safety plan for downtown Seattle. Downtown Seattle Association President Kate Joncas and Deputy Parks Superintendent Christopher Williams joined Chief Kerlikowske in the announcement.
In response to crime problems downtown, Mayor Greg Nickels directed the Seattle Police Department to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce crime and increase public safety. The department has deployed a Mobile Police Precinct and increased its patrols, maintaining a high-visibility in the downtown core focused on the Pike/Pine corridor, Third Avenue, and other high-density areas of concern.
In addition, Seattle Police are working with the Parks Department and the Downtown Seattle Association to coordinate resources and quickly respond to incidents on the streets and in the parks. This plan has been in effect since the beginning of the month and is flexible both in the hours of deployment and the type of emphasis.
A sergeant and eight additional officers have been deployed in the afternoon and evening hours in eight-hour shifts, with longer hours Friday through Sunday. The emphasis units use combinations of uniformed foot and bicycle patrols and plainclothes officers. The officers work from a Mobile Police Precinct so they can stay in the field and close to the action in order to complete reports, etc.
The emphasis patrols receive continuous information regarding crime “hot spots” and are evaluated on crime reduction, and the perception of safety, based on feedback from the public and business owners.
Based on weekly reviews of the progress of this deployment, the command staff works with Capt. Steve Brown of the West Precinct to adjust hours, resources, and the geographical focus of the emphasis patrols in order to hold the ground and maintain the peace. This deployment has significantly increased the visible and available police presence in the downtown area.
“We believe the increased police presence throughout the downtown area will enhance the public’s feeling of safety,” said Chief Kerlikowske.
"We applaud the city of Seattle and the police department for taking proactive action on the unacceptable public safety situation in downtown," said Joncas. "We look forward to working with our partners to make our downtown streets safe and welcoming for everyone."
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