• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Subscribe to the Magazine
American Police Beat

American Police Beat Magazine

Law Enforcement Publication

  • Home
  • Editor’s Picks
    • The power of teamwork
      Stay awake and alert on the job
      The worst rank in law enforcement
      Firearms maintenance
      Why fries need salt
  • Topics
    • On the Job
      • “Take care of your veterans”: Massachusetts police save suicidal...
        The problems with loyalty
        My experience being a Black woman in policing
        Tucson tries new tact to fight crime
        2022 Top Cops
    • Labor
      • Philadelphia may rehire officers and civilian employees to fill...
        Chicago police recruit Marines to help address officer shortage
        Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
        The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
        NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
    • Tech
      • NYPD deploys K-9s with innovative electronic harness to prevent...
        Understanding end-to-end encryption apps
        Local law enforcement agencies learn to recover stolen cryptocurrency
        New York mayor proposes gun detection scanners after rise in subway...
        Hacker group steals data from multiple law enforcement data systems...
    • Training
      • An equation for performing lawful Terry stops
        A Connecticut police chief says his department needs more drug...
        “The hidden danger is the water”
        Weapon retention
        Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
    • Policy
      • Supreme Court decision protects police officers against civil...
        Chicago police limit foot pursuits under new policy intended to...
        Putting the brakes on wandering cops
        Detroit police team up with federal law enforcement agencies to fight...
        Police driving practices under review as fatalities, injuries caused...
    • Health/Wellness
      • True detectives: Psychological realities of investigative work
        Effective use of chaplain services
        Things I learned as a retiree
        Normalization of deviance
        The nobility of policing
    • Community
      • Right place, right time: Off-duty Florida police officer braves house...
        Community steps up to support Rhode Island police officer brothers...
        Safety exchange zones
        Crime problems are community problems
        Texas law enforcement agencies show their support to Uvalde in wake...
    • Offbeat
      • Iowa police and fire agencies, community team up to rescue bulldog...
        Buzz fuzz: NYPD “bee unit” officers remove swarms from various...
        Only in Florida: Police snipers provide backup during...
        Longtime Maryland con man arrested for impersonating U.S. marshal
        Seattle cancels and refunds seven months of parking tickets due to...
    • We Remember
      • Memorializing our fallen sisters
        Paying Tribute to Fallen Heroes
        National Law Enforcement Memorial expands to accommodate more names
        National Police Week
        “It’s not enough to never forget anymore”
  • On the Job
    • “Take care of your veterans”: Massachusetts police save suicidal...
      The problems with loyalty
      My experience being a Black woman in policing
      Tucson tries new tact to fight crime
      2022 Top Cops
  • Labor
    • Philadelphia may rehire officers and civilian employees to fill...
      Chicago police recruit Marines to help address officer shortage
      Illinois State Police announce lateral training program with added...
      The “great resignation” brings staffing troubles to Missouri law...
      NYPD overtime expected to surpass budget by over $142 million to...
  • Tech
    • NYPD deploys K-9s with innovative electronic harness to prevent...
      Understanding end-to-end encryption apps
      Local law enforcement agencies learn to recover stolen cryptocurrency
      New York mayor proposes gun detection scanners after rise in subway...
      Hacker group steals data from multiple law enforcement data systems...
  • Training
    • An equation for performing lawful Terry stops
      A Connecticut police chief says his department needs more drug...
      “The hidden danger is the water”
      Weapon retention
      Developing trauma-informed training and drills for K–12 schools
  • Policy
    • Supreme Court decision protects police officers against civil...
      Chicago police limit foot pursuits under new policy intended to...
      Putting the brakes on wandering cops
      Detroit police team up with federal law enforcement agencies to fight...
      Police driving practices under review as fatalities, injuries caused...
  • Health/Wellness
    • True detectives: Psychological realities of investigative work
      Effective use of chaplain services
      Things I learned as a retiree
      Normalization of deviance
      The nobility of policing
  • Community
    • Right place, right time: Off-duty Florida police officer braves house...
      Community steps up to support Rhode Island police officer brothers...
      Safety exchange zones
      Crime problems are community problems
      Texas law enforcement agencies show their support to Uvalde in wake...
  • Offbeat
    • Iowa police and fire agencies, community team up to rescue bulldog...
      Buzz fuzz: NYPD “bee unit” officers remove swarms from various...
      Only in Florida: Police snipers provide backup during...
      Longtime Maryland con man arrested for impersonating U.S. marshal
      Seattle cancels and refunds seven months of parking tickets due to...
  • We Remember
    • Memorializing our fallen sisters
      Paying Tribute to Fallen Heroes
      National Law Enforcement Memorial expands to accommodate more names
      National Police Week
      “It’s not enough to never forget anymore”
  • Between the Lines
    • Persecution of the LEO is Classic Schadenfreude
      The Rule of Law is Worthless Without Order
      School policing: a paradox of the defund movement
      Defending the honor of the LE profession – finally!
      The dichotomy of the defund movement: reality setting in
  • About
  • The Magazine
  • Events
  • Partners
  • Products
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Search

Policy

King County, Washington, aims to increase security to drive out homeless camps and reduce crime

APB Team Published June 11, 2022 @ 12:00 pm PDT

Joe Mabel via Wikimedia Commons

King County officials aim to clean up City Hall Park with added security and walls to deter homeless camps as part of a new plan to drive out the park’s homeless camps.

The move comes after the decision to transfer the park from Seattle to the county, which some say is a step toward solving the homeless crisis.

Officials say the park has been a hotbed of crime and increased disease risk since the pandemic. According to data from King County, Seattle police officers responded to calls in the area and conducted “premise checks” seven times more than the year before.

Officials say the park has attracted growing numbers of homeless people due to the closing of shelters during COVID-19 lockdowns. The area has seen its fair share of crimes, including an attempted rape and a fatal stabbing.

By the end of June 2021, the park was closed down by judges after protests about its public safety risks. It was then transferred from the city of Seattle to King County, which is planning to change the 0.56-acre space into a symbol that the city is taking steps to address the homeless crisis.

“City Hall Park is an indicator issue for a larger problem,” Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn told The Seattle Times. “I mean, can we even get a half an acre right?”

County officials plan to increase security around the space by walling it off and increasing law enforcement presence in the area.

“It is the county’s objective to avoid future encampments at City Hall Park,” King County Executive Dow Constantine’s office stated.

Dunn said the strategy to keep the homeless away would involve multiple changes.

“More security officers in place, security cameras, 24/7 surveillance, all kinds of things,” he said.

According to Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles, the land transfer agreement would allow county sheriff’s deputies to patrol the park.

The county plans to turn the park into a courtyard for the courthouse instead of a housing encampment for homeless.

Councilmembers said the wall would help sheriff’s deputies monitor the park and enforce park hours.

“Not like Trump’s wall, just to be clear,” Dunn said. “But like a four- or five-foot-high brick wall that you could see through, maybe with some cool wrought iron.”

Other plans include bringing recreational activities to the park — such as food trucks and live music — to make the park safer.

The county said that while the homeless cannot sleep in the park, they will have the option to wash their clothes and take showers at the facilities.

Those who do sleep in the park will be referred to shelters by workers of JustCARE — a nonprofit that offers shelter and outreach services.

Derrick Belgarde, executive director of Chief Seattle Club, opposed the transfer.

His main concern was whether county law enforcement would be too hard on homeless individuals.

“I don’t want to criminalize homelessness, and I don’t want a police state,” Belgarde said. “I don’t want police kicking people out of parks because they’re homeless.”

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has made it clear that he intends to remove encampments from the park and is pleased with the transfer.

Mayoral spokesman Jamie Housen said the park, which has been closed for the last 10 months, will reopen when the transition is complete.

“Mayor Harrell remains committed to keeping parks accessible to all and clear of encampments,” Housen said.

Categories: Policy Tags: Law Enforcement, crime, Seattle, King County, security, homeless crisis, Bruce Harrel, encampments, JustCARE, City Hall Park

Primary Sidebar

Recent Articles

  • Right place, right time: Off-duty Florida police officer braves house fire to rescue trapped children
  • “Take care of your veterans”: Massachusetts police save suicidal veteran
  • Iowa police and fire agencies, community team up to rescue bulldog stuck in sinkhole
  • Community steps up to support Rhode Island police officer brothers who lost everything in a house fire
  • Supreme Court decision protects police officers against civil lawsuits over Miranda rights violations
  • NYPD deploys K-9s with innovative electronic harness to prevent terrorist attacks
  • The problems with loyalty
  • Chicago police limit foot pursuits under new policy intended to enhance officer safety and public trust
  • Buzz fuzz: NYPD “bee unit” officers remove swarms from various locations around the city
  • Safety exchange zones

Footer

Our Mission
To serve as a trusted voice of the nation’s law enforcement community, providing informative, entertaining and inspiring content on interesting and engaging topics affecting peace officers today.

Contact us: info@apbweb.com

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

Categories

  • Editor’s Picks
  • On the Job
  • Labor
  • Tech
  • Training
  • Policy
  • Health/Wellness
  • Community
  • Offbeat
  • We Remember
  • Jobs and Careers
  • Events

Editor’s Picks

The power of teamwork

The power of teamwork

July 23, 2021

Stay awake and alert on the job

Stay awake and alert on the job

July 20, 2021

The worst rank in law enforcement

The worst rank in law enforcement

July 19, 2021

Firearms maintenance

Firearms maintenance

July 04, 2021

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2022 APB Media, LLC | Website design, development and maintenance by 911MEDIA

Open

Subscribe

Close
Receive the latest news and updates from American Police Beat directly to your inbox!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.