The Alliance for Pioneer Square is working diligently to support the Pioneer Square community. We continue to advocate for solutions to ensure Pioneer Square is safe and welcoming for all.

This message includes information on the King County CCC Levy, SPD shift schedule changes, homelessness response and public safety information, resources on homelessness available in Seattle and instructions on how to report public safety incidents/who to report incidents to.

*NEW* RSVP: Public Safety Neighborhood

Open House

On Wednesday, April 12th the Alliance will host a variety of representatives from the City, County, and nonprofit organizations for a drop-in open house during which community members can share their concerns and ideas about public safety in our neighborhood. Your input is important and will be key in developing strategies regarding street civility and public safety. RSVP here to attend.

Date: Wednesday, April 12th

Time: 12-6p

Location: 210 Studio

(210 S Washington St.)

Schedule of Organization Representation:

• 12-2p Seattle Police Department
• 1-3p Metropolitan Improvement District
• 3-4:30p King County Prosecutor Leesa Manion
• 4:30p-6p Public Defender Association
• TBD Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison

*NEW* King County Crisis Care Centers Levy

On April 25, King County residents will cast ballots on the King County Care Centers levy. This $1.25 billion levy will fund five new behavioral health crisis care centers (CCCs) within the county, distributed across four crisis response zones. Each zone will host at least one CCC. Downtown will be served by the center located in the Central Zone. At least one CCC will specialize in serving youth.

Importantly, the levy also supports recruitment and retention of community behavioral health workers and preserves and restores the loss of residential treatment beds in the county. Currently, King County is without a walk-in behavioral health urgent care facility, and it operates only one 46-bed behavioral health crisis facility in a county with 2.3 million people. In the past four years, the county has lost more than 110 residential treatment beds and those in crisis are waiting an average of 44 days for help.

The levy would be funded via a nine-year property tax assessed at 14.5 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. Given the time it will take to stand up and get the crisis centers fully operational, the county intends to increase its mobile crisis outreach teams to bridge the gap.

*NEW* DSA/Chamber poll finds public safety tops voter concerns ahead of city council elections

Earlier this year, DSA and the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber fielded a survey that confirms Seattle voters are aligned with our repeated calls for improved public safety downtown and more SPD officers citywide. The January survey conducted by EMC Research found Seattle voters want a complete approach to public safety, with respondents calling for proper staffing levels to meet response times, police reforms and responsible alternative responses.

Likely November 2023 voters answered a series of questions about safety in their neighborhoods, top safety concerns, Seattle police funding and staffing, unarmed alternative response and confidence in elected officials on the issue of safety. Survey findings include:

• Voters are less likely to support candidates who supported a recent city action to eliminate 80 unfilled and unfunded police positions, regardless of the decision being framed as “defunding the police” (60%) or “being fiscally responsible” (49%).
• A strong majority of voters (70%) believe we need more officers to keep us safe and reduce crime, and that things like signing bonuses will help (66%), while they are evenly split on whether the department has made progress on reforms (51%-45%).
• More than six in 10 voters (62%) view Seattle police favorably.
• Recent crime around encampments may have contributed to voters now citing homelessness (52%) as a top public safety concern.
• Eight in 10 voters (80%) support the idea of a public safety force with unarmed officers to respond to low-priority calls.

*NEW* SPD Announces Shift Schedule Change 

The Seattle Police Department announced a new shift schedule for all patrol officers, which started on Wednesday, February 15th. The change is the result of an extensive review process to ensure SPD has adequate staffing during the peak hours of calls for service — despite limited staff.

Patrol shifts will now have overlapping hours to reduce low staffing during shift changes. The change will also allow more flexibility for addressing the recent short staffing the department has been experiencing, especially five days a week.

The new shifts will also make SPD more competitive with other local agencies by offering a better work schedule, which the department hopes will encourage officer wellness and retention. Instead of working 9-hour shifts, officers will now work 10-hour shifts. All SPD patrol officers will move from four-days-on, two-days-off to four-days-on, three-days-off.

Homelessness Response

*NEW* Program Outcomes from CoLEAD/JustCARE

CoLEAD/JustCARE is a program rapidly developed by the Public Defenders Association (PDA) in the early days of the Covid pandemic to help folks living unsheltered, as courts and shelters shut down. The City Council provided $5.5M to CoLEAD/JustCARE through 2022, and an additional $6.7M for ongoing operating costs for 2023.

Earlier this month, researchers at the University of Washington, along with representatives of PDA (now known as Purpose Dignity Action) shared program results with the council's Public Assets & Homelessness committee. You can find full presentations and the UW report linked here.

Some of the major outcomes highlighted in the presentation included:

• 41% of individuals had health insurance before enrolling in JustCARE compared to 89% who did after participating in the program.
• The UW research team found that “…JustCARE provided a meaningful temporary respite for participants and for community members alike, and that the well-being of many JustCARE participants improved while they were in JustCARE.”
• Early participants were less likely than later participants to find temporary or permanent housing. After March 1, 2022, 71% of participants found permanent housing.

Public Safety

*NEW* Bystander Intervention Trainings 

Right To Be is a nonprofit that provides bystander intervention trainings to teach people how to stop harassment. These free trainings are geared towards the public, with customized training experiences for businesses, organizations, schools, and colleges.

Right To Be's trainings are oriented to empower you to make a change and channel attention into simple, creative, and effective action. You will find tools to learn how to respond, intervene, and heal from harassment as well as be empowered with the resources you need to take care of yourself and others. Visit here for upcoming trainings and to sign up.



ICYMI: MID-funded SafeWalk Program

Through the Safewalk program, DSA's MID ambassadors will walk you to your downtown destination. If you ever need assistance getting to the office, car, transit stop or other location downtown, members of their Community Safety & Hospitality Team are available to provide a walking escort.

Make your request through the MID’s dispatch line at 206-441-3303, daily between 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m. We recommend calling at least 30 minutes before you plan to leave. Ambassadors generally arrive within 15-20 minutes. Visit here for more on ambassador services downtown.

City Outreach Resources on Homelessness in Seattle

Below is a list of city contacts for Seattle residents and businesses seeking assistance from the city, as well as a list of city services and resources for those experiencing homelessness. Being homeless is not a crime and vulnerable individuals living on our streets are deserving of empathy, care and assistance from our city:

• Info sheet of City services and community resources for those experiencing homelessness.
• Visit the City’s hygiene resource map.
• Use the Find it/Fix it app to report trash, illegal dumping, bio-waste and obstructions or contact the Customer Service Bureau at 206-684-2489. Read more about Seattle’s Clean City Initiative here.
• Public right of ways, such as sidewalks, planting strips or green belts not part of Parks Department: Contact the Seattle Department of Transportation.
• Homelessness Response Resources and Human Services: [email protected].
• Issues in City Parks: Email Donna Waters, Encampment program manager or [email protected]. 
• Vacant or abandoned buildings: Fill out the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection online Complaint Form (Under “Create New,” click on the “Complaints – Building and Property.”) or call 206-615-0808.
• Illegal structures, housing, on-going noise and zoning issues: Fill out the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection Complaint Form (Under “Create New,” click on the “Complaints – Building and Property.”) or call 206-615-0808.
• Issues Related to R.V.s: Email David Hare at Seattle Public Utilities. Parking enforcement should be directed to Customer Service Requests at https://seattle-cwiprod.motorolasolutions.com/cwi/select. Be sure to click Parking Enforcement.
• Issues involving animals: Contact Animal Control at http://www.seattle.gov/animal-shelter/animal-control There are several links to choose from to address a specific concern.

Reporting

How to Report

• For in-progress criminal activity and emergency reporting: please call 911 and report what you have observed. 9-1-1 data informs police resource allocation at the City level.

• (206) 625-5011 for non-emergency reporting.

• If police need to be aware of on-going drug activity but doesn’t require immediate response can be reported online as a Narcotics Activity Report or by calling 206-684-5797.

Who to Report to

• 2-1-1: an easy-to-remember phone number for people to call for health and human service information and referrals and other assistance to meet their needs.

• The Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) funded Clean Team is currently providing cleaning services limited to :
• Daily sidewalk and curbline cleaning
• Alley cleaning
• Human/animal waste removal and sanitation
• Syringe removal
• Graffiti paint-outs
• Trash and litter collection
• Scheduled pressure washing
• Leaf removal and composting

• The MID-funded Community Safety & Hospitality team ambassadors are on the ground seven days a week in six downtown neighborhoods assisting visitors, residents, workers and those in need. From providing directions to out-of-towners and supporting parks and public spaces to keeping an eye on clutter, this dedicated team helps keep downtown safe, welcoming and livable.

The Community Safety & Hospitality Team team provides the following services:

• Customer service and wayfinding
• Transit information
• Referrals to human services
• Public safety information and crime prevention information
• Welfare checks
• Support with Conditions of Entry and Sit/Lie violations

Ambassador hours of operation will be as follows:

• Clean Team: Monday-Friday 6:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 7 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Community Safety & Hospitality Team: Daily: 7:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.
• Public Realm Operations Team: Daily: 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

You can request service via phone at 206-441-3303 or submit a request online. If you see damage to private property or public infrastructure, report it using this form in addition to contacting SPD. You can leave a detailed message after hours or dial 911 in case of an emergency.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.

Resources

• West Precinct Resources.

• SPD Personal Safety, Other Resources and Crime Prevention Tips.

• Non-police Public Safety Numbers: comprehensive list of non-police public safety contacts

• Vacant Properties: The City of Seattle has regulations and standards for maintaining vacant properties. These standards focus on keeping buildings closed to unauthorized entry and maintaining the structure and yard areas to prevent the accumulation of waste and deterioration of the building. Click here for more information.

• Crime Prevention Coordinator: Crime Prevention Coordinators are experts in crime prevention techniques. You can talk to them about ongoing crime problems in your neighborhood, getting involved in Block Watch, CPTED Assessments and setting up a meeting to train you and your neighbors on crime prevention tips. Email Barb Biondo at [email protected] or call (206) 233-0015.

• Criminal Trespassing Program: email [email protected]

• HSD and the Crime Survivor Services Unit Victim Support Services

Please let us know how we might best support you. Feel free to contact any of us with comments, questions, suggestions or concerns.