Make Seattle Safe Again

Hi Tito, Please reference this recent article in regards to how our city is failing to properly staff our police force: http://mynorthwest.com/992/2860708/SPD-union-president-The-city-is-hiding-an-important-staffing-study I don't think anyone is saying that Magnolia/Ballard/Fremont need more police presence in relation to Capital Hill/CD/Rainer Valley. The entire city needs more police presence in relation to what it's currently getting. And I think every single neighborhood should start a petition so we can present a loud and unified front to our mayor and city council.

Crime is out of control and no police visibility

Crown Hill

The city has taken a worse direction since Murray was elected.I did not expect that.Very disappointed with city council and mayors inability to manage the city .

EVERYDAY someone gets something either destroyed or stolen in my Ballard NE neighborhood. Where are the police????

Please make an effort to reduce the petty crime rate in our neighborhood. This should not become a ballot issue...

Now that city councilman Mike Obrien has been re-elected for a new term as city councilman, it is time he works to make the positive changes in the Ballard community that his constituents are asking for!

I am sympathetic to those impacted by these issues, either directly or indirectly, in their neighborhood. However, this petition is seriously misguided given it's narrow focus on a few select neighborhoods, let alone well off ones, that have traditionally received a disproportionate level of city services & resources relative to areas on the south end (perhaps not policing, but investments in schools, transit, parks, street repairs, etc.). 1) While I am sure an increase in homeless populations and other changes noted above have been unnerving, these are issues that those in the East and South precincts have been dealing with for years - so welcome to their world. 2)I have no doubt that's been a nuisance and brought an increased (and understandable) level of anxiety to those neighborhoods. However, to date (i.e. through November 2015) there is NOT actual evidence of a dramatic increase in crime in Magnolia, Queen Anne, Fremont, and Ballard (as many suggest above). Looking at the month-by-month crime stats for the past 3 years, they have in fact been relatively consistent over that time and any increases in specific categories/neighborhoods are hardly "dramatic" (http://www.seattle.gov/seattle-police-department/crime-data/crime-dashboard) 3) while not diminishing the concerns of those in these neighborhoods, the simple fact is that crime rates remain vastly higher in areas of the East, South and SW precincts. And that is especially true for On Person crimes (vs. Property crimes). - for example there are more violent personal crimes (mostly assault/armed robbery) on Capitol Hill in a month than there are in a year in Magnolia. And overall, per capita violent crime is at least 5X higher in areas such as Capitol Hill, Central District/Squire Park, Rainier Valley and other neighborhoods to the South than in any of the neighborhoods covered in this petition. (Try mapping violent crimes for a given period here: http://web6.seattle.gov/mnm/policereports.aspx. You'll get

I've been a Ballard/Phinney resident for 6 years and have seen a steady rise in crime. My daughter (west woodland student) and I love our neighborhood and would like to see it become free from blatant drug use and home break-ins.

Crime is awful in North Seattle. Please increase police presence up here!

I've had a car broken into and seen two neighbors deal with home break-ins. And that's within the past 6 months.

Enough is enough.

I've in Ballard since 1965, in East Ballard near Gilman Park since 1988. Crime has increased dramatically in the last few years. I've had a break-in at my home and seen extensive drug activity at nearby Gilman Park. I'm glad to pay more taxes for additional patrols, especially for preventative policing.

Yes. Please take this under serious consideration. We want our neighborhoods safe.

Crimes of all kind have been increasing in my neighborhood (Gilman Park) for more that 5 years... It's incredibly disappointing as well as unsafe. Please help us.

We also are noticing a marked increase of crime in Ballard up near the Safeway on 15th and 85th. There is graffiti, car break-ins (3 in the last 24 hours within 3 blocks, and those are just the ones I heard of!), and I feel unsafe when walking to the store or even to my car in the dark after work. This has to stop- Ballard and the surrounding neighborhoods are being targeted, and unless we see an increase in police presence, it will not stop!

I live in Magnolia and used to live in Ballard, more patrols are needed.

Lets do something to do the right thing for the homeless and the mentally ill. This is not about "not in our backyard" this is an epidemic in the Ballard area and is unsafe. Homes and cars are being burgularized. Garbage and personal and business property is being impacted in a negative way. This is a policy problem and we need to have a social solution to help those that need help. As a tax payer and home owner, I want something significant to be done and it needs to come from the Mayors Office and the Police Department. Enough of looking the other way. This is not fair to us that live and do business here.

We have had a huge rise of theft in our neighborhood and dangerous drug dealers sleeping and/or dealing at Gilman Park, sometimes jumping fences into peoples yards. The police are slow to respond, if they respond at all and I understand that it is up to the mayor to help the police respond. We are starting to feel unsafe in our own frontyards. The other night my husband locked up his bike and went into Veraci pizza for no more than 10 minutes. When he came back out, his bike was gone. Our car has been stolen twice from in front of our house and we see needles everywhere in Gilman Park and on street corners. Please help make Ballard into a neighborhood again.

A Queen Anne homeowner. Cars get broken into all the time. No Police presence in the community.