White Center Now: The blog about White Center

By Randall G. Hauk
Reporting for White Center Now

Change and transition were the dominant themes of last night’s meeting of the White Center/South Delridge Community Safey Coalition as the group discussed ideas for how they can continue to foster improvements in the safety of the area though activities targeting community building.

The main thing accomplished in that direction was agreeing to feature a local business on a monthly basis, with the thought being that local business owners and residents will each benefit greatly from improving the overall safety of the community by curbing crime and providing the sort of environment families feel safe visiting.

“We’re transitioning from doing a lot of weeding,” said coalition chair Sean Healy. “Things feel safer. Now we are trying to build on that.”

Coalition members were encouraged to keep track of their positive experiences with local businesses and share them with Healy via e-mail. The group’s goal is to then select a business to be featured and invited to speak to the group in beginning to build a bridge between community leaders and business owners.

The group also discussed hopes to build a website, which would then have a ’spotlight’ area to help promote the selected establishment, while also hopefully
helping to change the image of White Center to that of a place to shop and dine. Speaking of which:

New Restaurant and Bar coming to White Center:

One of last night’s attendees, Jesse Lovell, hopes to help contribute to the continued growth of the dining scene in the White Center area, having secured a lease at 9608 16th Avenue, where he is working hard to open a new restaurant and bar called “Company.” Although renovation of the space is in extremely preliminary stages, Lovell did say he hopes to focus on locally sourced meat and produce and to provide a safe place that will “bring a different demographic to the area to show what White Center can have to offer.”

A reminder – the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meets in two nights, since it’s the fourth Thursday! 6-8 pm, DSHS building at 9650 15th SW (map). You can expect to hear from King County Sheriff’s Office and Seattle Police reps as well as the group’s volunteer leadership – be ready to hear about and talk about what’s up in your neighborhood.

Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officers Adonis Topacio and Jill Vanskike were both at the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting Thursday night to pass the baton, in a way. She’s taking over the CPT work in the precinct’s southeastern turf; he’s moving to the west. With them, but not pictured, was Lt. Norm James, who also is in a new role at the precinct, that of Operations Lieutenant, since Lt. Steve Paulsen is transitioning to the West Precinct downtown. As we’ve reported on partner site West Seattle Blog, Lt. James has been with the precinct for several years, so he knows the area and the issues. He also introduced John McGoodwin, who’s taking over as SW Precinct city attorney liaison since Beth Gappert has moved to Vice.

All those introductions took up most of the discussion involving the Seattle side of the Community Safety Coalition’s turf, aside from a few items that also came up last night when Officer Topacio was at the Highland Park Action Committee meeting – including graffiti in Highland Park (last night’s questions involved 12th SW between 8200 and 8400).

Officer Topacio was asked about an e-mail going around from a West Seattle burglary victim claiming police were trying to catch a gang of teen burglars that was striking multiple times each day; he pointed the inquirer to our WSB story debunking that part of the tale.

On the King County Sheriff’s Office side of the line, Deputy Jeff Hancock was late to the meeting – said he’d been in a foot chase with someone wanted by the state Department of Corrections; the suspect was caught after running into Brewsky’s in downtown White Center. The only other update he offered was that “person-to-person” robberies are way up over this time last year, and no one yet knows why.

The rest of the meeting focused on a presentation about the Strength of Place Village affordable-housing project, 30 units planned for 13th SW/SW 100th (right behind Big Al Brewing). Architects Roger Tucker and Vlad Oustimovitch, with Kate Stineback from project overseers Capitol Hill Housing, gave a presentation and answered questions. We first reported plans for the project on WSB more than two years ago; according to a handout circulated at last night’s meeting, they’re hoping to break ground on the 30-apartment project this June, wiht the first families moving in a year later.

White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meets at 6 pm the fourth Thursday of the month, now at DSHS offices, 9650 15th SW.

White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition chair Sean Healy sends a reminder of the group’s next meeting – coming up in less than a week. As his note points out, the group’s gone through some changes; no official Seattle Neighborhood Group staffers now, so it’s entirely volunteer-run – executive committee members Healy, Angela Rambo and Barbara Liberache are in charge. The meeting location is new, too – instead of St. James Place, you’ll find the coalition at DSHS offices, 9650 15th SW (map). Regular meeting time/location remains 6 pm, fourth Thursday of the month – that’s next Thursday 1/28, and everybody’s welcome.

It was something of the passing of the torch at Thursday night’s meeting of the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition, as the last Seattle Neighborhood Group staffer assigned to the group, Karen Greene, honored its volunteer leaders – with days to go before her job ends. (WIth Karen in the photo is Sean Healy, just elected chair of the coalition’s Executive Committee.) Karen’s job is ending because the grant that funded it is expiring. The WCSDCSC has long had grant funding as a “Weed and Seed Area,” while struggling to leave behind a raucous, dangerous past. Now, there’s consensus the area is getting safer, and crime is dropping. At Thursday night’s meeting, King County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hancock recalled something he’d said to the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council recently, that an entire month’s crime report these days doesn’t even contain the volume of violence and serious crime that they would once see just in a weekend.

Before Deputy Hancock presented his crime report at the start of the meeting, Acting Sgt. Adonis Topacio of the Seattle Police Department’s Southwest Precinct Community Police Team gave his update for the South Delridge side of the area. All categories of property crime were up, he said — “Seems to be the trend this time of year.” In terms of major incidents, he only recalled one – a robbery attempt at Cafe Tam Tranh on the south end of Delridge, in which somebody tried to steal a game machine bolted to the floor – then swung a knife at the manager; he said the cafe had been “hit several times in the last few years.” His stats covered the six weeks since the last meeting of the group and listed 24 car prowls in the South Delridge area, up 11; 5 “auto accessories” thefts, up 3; 3 license-plate thefts (up 2); 14 auto thefts (up 4); 14 burglaries (up 5).

His words of advice for residents to protect themselves from crime: Don’t leave anything in your car. Meantime, he also noted that the Community Police Team has two vacancies at the moment; one of the key team members is about to deploy to Iraq. But A/Sgt. Topacio says he’s hopeful that replacements will be on the way next month.

Then Deputy Hancock took over with his update. While property crime in White Center is low, he said – no commercial burglaries in the past month, and just one residential break-in – he noted four major incidents (the following is a transcription from what he handed out to attendees at the meeting, minus the report numbers):

Assault Aggravated Felony
Club Evolucion – There was a large gang-related fight in front of the club. Two Deputies working off duty were assaulted by three suspects. All three suspects were arrested the following week for assault 3.

Robbery
McLendon’s
A shoplift turned into a robbery when the suspect produced a knife and attempted to stab the store manager. The manager was not hurt and the suspect fled the scene. The robbery is currently under investigation.

Chase Bank/SW 100th 17th SW
One suspect armed with a handgun. Currently under investigation.

SW Roxbury 28th SW – Gas station
Armed robbery/currently under investigation.

Dates for those incidents weren’t given. The one-sheet from Deputy Hancock also listed 10 drug arrests, 20 warrant arrests, 3 vehicle thefts and 1 vehicle prowl for the month (described as 11/03 through 12/02).

More quick topics from the meeting: Asked about the effects of the county budget on storefront operations, Deputy Hancock said the White Center storefront has been saved, but “Boulevard Park will be incorporated into Burien” …
State Liquor Control Board agents briefed the meeting saying they hadn’t noticed violations at some of the establishments they’ve checked, but there is a “stipulated agreement” with a grocery store where there had been some concerns. …. The timetable for completion of Burien’s annexation of “North Highline South” may still be delayed while the City of Burien and King County hash out the future of Puget Sound Park … Chances are strong the coalition will meet in a new location in the new year – probably the DSHS building across from the White Center Bartell Drugs … Attendees were asked to fill out a form inquiring about their strengths and interests, as part of a community-building exercise … The artwork for Steve Cox Memorial Park is finally about to get under way, now that a contract has been signed …

And before the meeting ended, final words from Karen Greene: “The change (in the area) is really something to be proud of. This meeting is a real strength for the community, a real resource.”

They usually meet late in the month, but since that doesn’t work well around Thanksgiving/Christmas time, the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition is meeting tonight at 6 pm, at a different location than usual – Wiley Center at Greenbridge, 9800 8th SW, Room 104 (map). The meeting announcement notes that the “room is on the southwest corner of the building; it faces the Greenbridge plaza open space.”

We’ve published the story at West Seattle Blog – read it here.

Here’s the official invitation, from Karen Greene at Seattle Neighborhood Group:

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition Meeting
Thursday, August 27, 6-8 pm,
St. James Place,
9421 18th Avenue SW

Guest Presentations:

* Code Enforcement – from both Seattle DPD & King County

And: If you have a specific concern, you may email or call me and let me know before the meeting and I will pass on the information to SPD or KCSO or the appropriate city/county department. With advanced notice, law enforcement officers are able to find out more information about specific incidents and concerns and share that information at the meeting. Everyone is welcome to bring up concerns at the meeting, but if we know the concerns ahead of time, we may be able to find out more information for the community. Thanks!

Dinner will be provided. Please call Karen at 767-0760 if childcare or interpretation is needed.

You can also e-mail Karen, karen@sngi.org

By Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for White Center Now

Thursday night’s White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting at St. James Place was the first without group facilitator Kathy Kaminski, who left for Chicago — and it also was revealed that the lone full-time staffer with a role in assisting the group, Karen Greene, will be cut back to half-time this September, with the possibility of her position ending entirely by December due to budget cuts.

The group also was visited by two Washington State Liquor Control Board officers. Officer John Wilson and Lieutenant Susan Blaker (at right in top photo) were met with a flurry of questions, concerns and frustrations from the approximately 20 attendees.

King County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hancock presented an unusually quiet crime round-up: No car thefts, two felony assaults, 15 misdemeanor assaults (13 reported as domestic-violence-related).

One incident he mentioned involved a heroin-overdose call in a homeless camp in the 10100 block of 12th Avenue SW. Upon arrival, the deputies found the victim blue, with no pulse or sign of breathing. They recognized the victim as a well-known arrestee in White Center. Beginning CPR, they managed to regain a pulse until medics arrived and he was transported to the hospital. Two days later, he was arrested for the 10th time. Commenting on Hancock’s story, one resident chimed in and said “they picked the wrong day to do successful CPR.”

Also, attendees voted unanimously to request an increased presence of bicycle officers in the White Center business district. Deputy Hancock will send in the request this week.

For the Seattle side of the coalition’s coverage area, Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Sergeant Jeff Durden reported ten burglaries — all residential — and emphasized to “even lock your house when you’re mowing the lawn.” Durden added, “If I lived in Highland Park, I would have an alarm.”

The situation with the abandoned, fire-damaged house in the 9000 block of 17th Avenue SW is moving forward, but the group of residents was told by the Sheriff’s Community Service Officer Vary Jackson to “have patience.”

The bulk of the meeting concerned liquor license renewals. Officer Wilson and Lieutenant Blaker — a former officer in the White Center neighborhood — fielded the questions and concerns from residents. The hotspot in discussion was the market on the corner of 16th SW and Henderson Street. One resident said, “I’m disappointed you’re here after the fact,” referring to the constant collection of bottles, cans and suspected illegal activity that residents say happens around the establishment. Additionally, the liquor license has changed hands and most residents consider it detrimental to the neighborhood.

The market in question has been a hotspot for four years and this is the first time any officer from the Liquor Control Board has visited the meeting in that period. Wilson, the new officer for the White Center area, told the meeting they are his eyes and ears for the neighborhood. He emphasized that in order for changes and reform to happen, residents must contact him with complaints. Call him, leave your name, number and complaint, and he will then open a formal investigation. “If you take away one thing from this meeting, take my card,” said Wilson.

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meets the fourth Thursday of every month from 6 – 8 pm at St. James Place (9421 18th Ave SW). Dinner is provided and all are welcome. For more information visit http://www.sngi.org/dfc/dfc.html.

As reported here after last month’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, one of the group’s facilitators, Kathy Kaminski, is leaving her job to go back to school. So a goodbye for Kathy was a big part of Thursday night’s meeting. She got a cake, going-away present and a card; she told us she came to the job 6 years ago as an AmeriCorps volunteer and was only supposed to stay for a few months, but she fell in love with Seattle and managed to stay. Now, though, she’s leaving to head to Chicago to get a master’s degree in Public Administration. She told us she grew up in that area and her family’s all still there, but she intends to move back here after graduation. She told the group, “Thanks for all your hard work. It was a great opportunity – I’ve learned so much from you guys. I’m excited to move on and sad to leave, but I leave the neighborhood knowing it’s in good hands.”

Speaking of which – here’s the crime roundup: King County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeff Hancock says the past month’s been unusually quiet in the White Center area – no car thefts, and only one reported vehicle prowl. The major incidents otherwise involved two fights in the 16th SW nightclub/bar zone and a robbery attempt at an ATM; Deputy Hancock says all three cases resulted in arrests, with witnesses’ information helping in the robbery attempt, as several passersby saw what happened and provided tips.

Southwest Precinct Community Police Team Officer Adonis Topacio attended on behalf of the Seattle side of the line; he said car thefts and car prowls remain high. Meeting participants asked him to check on what was described as a recurring situation in the courtyard right there at St. James Place – late-night gatherings with dozens of teenagers making noise.

Also discussed, the abandoned, fire-damaged home in the 9000 block of 17th SW and the adjoining lot with a vacant garage. The house was described as “trash everywhere.” A formal complaint’s been filed with the city. An informal group of concerned citizens will get together between coalition meetings to find out more about what they can do and what the city can do to deal with a situation like this.

One more note: Lisa Quinn from Feet First! came to the meeting, gathering information for a White Center walking map:

She got plenty of help from meeting participants who broke into groups to make lists of landmarks, staircases, public art, and other features. (Speaking of walking in White Center – remember the Southwest Seattle Historical Society’s upcoming History Tour of White Center, July 25 – here’s our original report.)

Out of the White Center Now inbox:

The White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition Meeting
Thursday, June 25, 6-8 pm,
St. James Place, 9421 18th Avenue SW

Guest Presentations:

* Big Brothers and Big Sisters
* Feet First, proposed walking map

Farewell, Social Time – for Kathy Kaminski. An opportunity to wish her well!

And: If you have a specific concern, you may email or call me and let me know before the meeting and I will pass on the information to SPD or KCSO or the appropriate city/county department. With advanced notice, law enforcement officers are able to find out more information about specific incidents and concerns and share that information at the meeting. Everyone is welcome to bring up concerns at the meeting, but if we know the concerns a head of time, we may be able to find out more information for the community. Thanks!

… Please spread the word to your neighbors!

Dinner will be provided. Please call Karen at 767-0760 if childcare or interpretation is needed.
–
Karen Greene
Drug Free Communities Program Coordinator
Seattle Neighborhood Group

If you’ve ever been to a White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, you know that’s Kathy Kaminski, one of the WCSDCSC’s energetic co-facilitators (along with Karen Greene). At the end of Thursday night’s meeting, Kathy had a personal announcement: Next meeting will be her last, as she is leaving Seattle Neighborhood Group in July to return to school, seeking a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. She says she hopes to return after her two years of studies; she’s been with SNG for five years (per its staff page).

The draft agenda is now out for next Thursday night’s White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting – read on to see what you’ll hear if you go: Read the rest of this entry »

(WCCSC’s Kathy Kaminski takes notes as King County PAO Dan Satterberg addresses the group)
By Jonathan Stumpf
Reporting for White Center Now

Tuesday night, King County Prosecuting Attorney — and Highline High School graduate — Dan Satterberg visited the White Center-South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting at St. James Place to “talk about what you want to talk about,” as he put it in his opening statement to the approximately 20 attendees.

As he began his talk, which was similar to the one he presented to the Rotary Club of West Seattle in March (covered by partner site West Seattle Blog), he discussed the effectiveness of an ongoing crackdown on car thefts.

Read the rest of this entry »

Come get updates on crime, safety, and other community issues in White Center and South Delridge tonight – the WC/SD Community Safety Coalition’s monthly meeting is at 6 pm (free dinner!) at St. James Place, 9421 18th SW.

I generally try not to dwell on the issue of crime in White Center because, on the whole, I think WC gets an undeserved bad rep on this issue.  The place has really cleaned up and there are now some very clean stretches where even petty vagrancy will not be found.  Such, however, is not the case for the three blocks of 15th Avenue SW just south or Roxbury.  Here you will find what White Center used to look like 15 years ago.  Vagrants, thugs, drug dealers and chronic alcoholics own these blocks.  On any given night (or day) you will see roving bands of miscreants plying their wares.  Whether it be the sale of black tar heroin, public drunkenness or just vagrants looking to rifle any car window left open.  I know the Sheriff’s Department considers this a high crime zone, as I have both talked to them and seen them on patrol.   More, however, needs to be done.

Looking south on 15th Ave. SW - DSHS Building to Left (google map)

The area suffers these problems because of some structural issues relating to lack of citizen surveillance.  The DSHS building that occupies the block just south of Bartells’ is an architectural crime against humanity.  The designers of the DSHS building (formerly a Safeways) should be indicted in the Criminal Cout at the Hague.  It seems no effort was spared to make this into an insult to the community.   The entrance to the building faces the parking lot and has no sight of anything on the street.  The back walls all face towards the community creating an architectural dead zone; precisely what you don’t want when trying to integrate into a neighborhood (and create public safety).   The hidden spaces created by the building provide sleeping spaces for the homeless and the vagrants.   And the dead zone allows all manner of activity to go undetected.

Looking further south on 15th Ave. SW

Few of the business in this area have street level views (shops that front sidewalks).  As such, the shop owners, even if they were inclined to keep on eye on matters, cannot see what is going on.  It does not help that many of the businesses are run by first generation immigrants, who have some level of distrust for the police.  As well, many are not accustomed to the concept of community policing.  All this adds up to a three block free-for-all for criminals and miscreants.   I will be adding pictures of some of these folks, including at least one who is registered sex offender, obviously using his “homeless” status to keep from registering.

Suffice it to say, that until this last stretch of bad seeds is cleaned up, White Center will continue labor under the unfortunate appellation of Rat City.

First tidbit from tonight’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting (full report in the works) – the time and place are set for the upcoming White Center Youth Summit: 10 am-3 pm March 14, at the Salvation Army in WC. Organizers say they’ve had a sizable turnout of young people helping plan the meeting, so they’re optimistic it’s going to go well.

Just heard from from Dan Donohoe at the office of King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg: He says Satterberg has a family emergency and has to cancel his planned appearance at tonight’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, but will reschedule. (However, the law/justice reps who are usually on hand at the meeting do include a prosecutor’s-office rep.) Everything else planned for the meeting, including updates on local crime trends and nuisance spots, is on as usual, 6 pm, St. James Place, 9421 18th SW.

First – Metro says everything’s back to normal, after the morning show and associated troubles. The news release is posted on our partner site West Seattle Blog. Second — reminder that tonight’s the night County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg guests at the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting, 6 pm, St. James Place (original White Center Now report here).

Just posted at partner site West Seattle Blog: Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg — who has longtime White Center ties and lives in nearby Normandy Park — is the guest at this Thursday night’s White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meeting; read about it here.