Video: Seized drugs, guns displayed, as authorities provide new information on the White Center raids
(Video by Deanie Schwarz for WCN)
From White Center Now contributor Deanie Schwarz at the briefing on yesterday’s big multi-agency law-enforcement operation in White Center – she was first on the scene as authorities were carrying out the raids yesterday:
50 arrested, 68 guns, 51 pounds of meth, two pounds of crack cocaine, more than 10 pounds of powder cocaine, and heroin were seized in a three-month White Center initiative.
(Photo by Courtney Blethen Riffkin, SEATTLE TIMES/Republished with permission)
Authorities at today’s briefing say two businesses described as “hubs for criminal activity” were searched yesterday. 26 people face federal charges in the “initiative,” another 27 face state charges, and three people facing federal charges are still being sought.
More to come.
12:40 PM: Following up on this, there’ll be a meeting Monday night at Greenbridge with participants including Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan, KCSO, SPD, and King County reps. Deanie reports that this is for those who want to help leaders and law enforcers work toward more solutions. This meeting is exceptional and unique in that “the US Attorney is organizing this community meeting after an ATF action,” said KCSO’s Major Graddon. “Normally task forces come in, do good work and then leave to other projects,” he said. Durkan’s office told WCN that the feds are not leaving WC – and hope residents and businesses attend. It’s at 7 pm Monday in the Wiley Center at Greenbridge.
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October 21st, 2011 at 12:15 pm
Fantastic!!! Keep up the great work! Time to clean up our community.
October 21st, 2011 at 12:24 pm
As scary as this story is, I am THRILLED that our law enforcement folks are helping clean up our community. White Center is becoming such a great place for small businesses and I love the diversity of the families who live here. We need to continue to feel safe. Thank you to everyone who did the leg work and investigating and who potentially were in danger to make these arrests!
October 21st, 2011 at 12:48 pm
What has failed to be mentioned is that the culprits in this case are NOT from WC, these drugs and guns were obtained from SeaTac, High Point, and Burien.
You can confirm this with SPD and KCSO. The culprits used our community to conduct their criminal activities.
October 21st, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Heidi, Deanie will be writing a full story – these are just the toplines. If authorities said that, I’m sure she will mention it.
October 21st, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Nice, thanks Tracy :)
October 21st, 2011 at 1:38 pm
Thank You to all agencies involved.
October 21st, 2011 at 3:20 pm
Great job Deanie! Also, law enforcement should have a pat on the back for a job well done. Hopefully, they have enough evidence to put the creeps away for a long time. “Viva White Center”
October 22nd, 2011 at 1:44 am
Thank you to everyone who worked on getting these guys out of the neighborhood! Thank you KCSO!
Side note: These drugs and guns were somewhere else before they were in other neighborhoods. The fact is that they ended up in WC. That and the fact that they are gone, is all that matters. Not sure what political spin you are trying to put on this Heidi….
All drugs and guns come from somewhere else. Why they all ended up in WC is a more important question…
I wouldn’t try and blame it on other neighborhoods…
October 22nd, 2011 at 7:37 am
My hats off to the police agancies involved in this operation. A special “thank you” goes to our own Burien/King County Sheriffs Office for their part. I have said it before and I continue to say that our police force is the best in the state.
October 22nd, 2011 at 9:39 am
No one is blaming anyone. The point is, criminals come from all over to conduct their criminal activities in our small business district. If the certain named businesses in this case cared about our neighborhood, they would pay more attention to what’s going on. Because of these businesses WC is known as a hub where criminals are welcome. Law enforcement will tell you that over 80 percent of these criminals caught do not live in our community and I’m not just talking about the ones from this bust. As far as political… nothing there either. You’re reading way to much into something that is simply stated.
October 22nd, 2011 at 11:04 am
I am so grateful for the hard work and dedication to our community that we have seen from our Deputies, now and over the previous years.
I have been a business owner and resident for 8 years and have worked closely with previos and current Deputies on issues, and have experienced a high quality of concern and support.
I am convinced we are all working towards a family friendly downtown White Center district and visualize a vibrant business district with more emphasis on community events and gatherings.
Having read Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘Tipping Point’ and fully appreciating the efforts it takes to create that, through dedication to the positive image we hold in our mind, and continually removing the offensive graffiti, garbage, negatives of any sort, we can continue to say NO and take the community to a higher level….but it takes the ENTIRE VILLAGE to look around and say-hey…NO MORE.
That means everyone makes an effort to pick up garbage, report a crime, get to know our officers, neighbors and so on.
Or, keep wishing someone else will do it.
Thank you for a big clean up in our community, we greatly appreciate you hard work, and understand the difficult position of not being able to tell us that you were actively working on this huge investigation.
Proud Resident of White Center!
October 23rd, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Today, as I drove through WC, I saw that there were vehicles parked in front of DK’s, and the neon signs in the windows were on, but I couldn’t tell if they were actually open for business. Papa’s Pub, on the other hand, was definitely open.
The owners of these businesses obviously aren’t concerned with how their business models affect our neighborhood, and they don’t care if their employees and customers go to jail, so perhaps the White Center Council or the Chamber of Commerce, maybe even the Community Development Association, should jointly retain council and sue those owners for negative impact on nearby businesses.
Would such a thing be legal or feasible? Could their property be seized? I know nuisance properties may be seized by municipalities.
October 23rd, 2011 at 3:02 pm
…should jointly retain COUNSEL…