White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Thanks to those who texted and called (206-293-6302) about an incident on 16th near 102nd earlier this evening. At the scene, we talked to a King County Sheriff’s Office sergeant who said it started with a fight/argument between two men at a bus stop, and this is where it ended. One was injured and had to be taken to Harborview Medical Center. Deputies were investigating whether a weapon was involved; witnesses and those involved were reported to be telling conflicting stories.

The 50-year-old driver arrested after hitting a pedestrian in White Center last Thursday is out of jail. We’re not identifying the suspect yet, as she is not yet charged. But the jail register shows that her bail was set at $30,000 and that she got out of jail over the weekend. Court documents say she told a King County Sheriff’s Deputy that she had had three beers before driving; the deputy wrote that her speech was slurred and that she “had difficulty walking.” She also is reported to have said she was sorry for hitting the pedestrian, who was reported to have suffered “severe skull fractures.”

No further details but if you recognize either or both of these suspects … King County Sheriff’s Office just put out this alert via Twitter:

And this addition:

P.S. For this month’s update on North Highline crime trends, don’t miss Thursday night’s NHUAC meeting – more info here.

1:25 PM: A person with a warrant out for their arrest is “holed up inside a house near SW 116th/14th SW,” according to the King County Sheriff’s Office, which says SWAT team members and negotiators are there. They don’t believe anyone else is in the house. Streets are blocked off in the area, so avoid for now. More to come.

2:10 PM: We’re just back from the scene, where we talked with KCSO spokesperson Sgt. BJ Myers (video added):

He says the person in the house is wanted on warrants relating to drug/weapon cases.

2:18 PM: And we’ve just learned the suspect is out of the house and in custody.

11:53 PM: Still trying to unravel exactly what happened, but Seattle Police tracked a suspect into White Center tonight and have just taken him into custody near Marv’s Broiler in downtown White Center. The call apparently started with a report of a man with a knife in South Delridge; SPD was searching, and then found their suspect, who was reported to have been on a bicycle. King County Sheriff’s Deputies were on the case too. We’ll add anything more that we find out.

12 MIDNIGHT: Photo tweeted by Katt:

Thanks to Gill for the tip on law-enforcement activity – the King County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were looking for a suspect in an attempted bank robbery in the 9600 block of 17th SW. They used a K-9 team but they weren’t able to track down the suspect. So far, this is all the description information KCSO has released: Black male, dreadlocks, gray hoody. KCSO didn’t identify the bank, but (updated) a reader tells us that KCSO cars were outside the Bank of America.

If you saw the search activity this morning – it even rerouted Metro buses off 15th SW between SW 102nd and SW 106th for a while – here’s what it was about, according to King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates: “There was a domestic violence call; the subject fled on foot and we did an extensive K9 track with us and SPD. He wasn’t located. He was armed with a handgun and was threatening to harm himself.”

This day started a lot earlier than it should have had to for Zippy’s Giant Burgers. And it’s including jobs it shouldn’t have had to include – cleaning up broken glass and buying a new cash register. Zippy’s proprietor Blaine Cook was planning one last full day of business before an early closure Tuesday for the staff party, followed by a holiday break. Instead, he got an early call about one or more burglar(s) breaking a side door to get in, discovered by a family member arriving around 4 am to clean.

The cash register and safe were taken, Cook writes on Facebook). The King County Sheriff’s Office is investigating; deputies were just leaving as we arrived. Zippy’s is at 9614 14th SW; you’ll recall the Greenbridge area, several blocks east, had a series of business burglaries last month.

One week ago tonight, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council heard from King County Sheriff John Urquhart. Above, you can watch our video of his almost-40-minute appearance. His topics included staffing – hopes of increasing it in unincorporated North Highline, for example – and working on diversity. “I have a white male police department right now,” he declared. “I cannot have a successful police department unless I mirror the community … but it’s difficult, it’s difficult recruitment.” Among other things, he talked about changing county policies so that candidates who speak a second language, for example, get more civil-service points.

He talked about the beat cop being the ultimate model of law enforcement, and joined NHUAC in paying tribute to the late Deputy Steve Cox, who was killed eight years ago. Deputy Cox had exemplified the ideal model of law enforcement, the “beat cop,” noted Sheriff Urquhart.

Two members of his force who focus on specific beats spoke next – Joe Winters, who is lead deputy on park patrol, and new White Center storefront Deputy Julian Chivington, who talked about crime stats, including an increase in residential burglary:

One more note – NHUAC members are working on getting a memorial in Lakewood Park in honor of Dick Thurnau, who lived nearby and devoted so many years to advocating for the park’s beleaguered Hicklin Lake. They are even talking to local legislators to see if there’s a chance the park could be renamed in his honor.

Watch the NHUAC website for word of the council’s next meeting and other information between meetings.

One week from tomorrow, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council‘s December meeting will feature Sheriff John Urquhart (raincheck from last meeting) and Deputies Julian Chivington (new storefront deputy) and Joe Winters (who patrols parks). Here’s the official agenda, from president Barbara Dobkin:

7:00 pm Call to Order – Flag Salute – Roll Call – Approval of Agenda – Approval of Minutes

7:05 pm Public Announcements
7:10 pm Public Comment

King County Sheriff’s Office
7:20 pm Sheriff John Urquhart
7:50 pm Deputy Julian Chivington – White Center Storefront Deputy
8:00 pm Deputy Joe Winters – South End Park Patrol

8:10pm Pat Price and Liz Giba – Discussion regarding Lakewood Park

8:20 pm Bong StoDomingo – King County Community Service Area Liaison – Update on Graffiti in North Highline

8:30 pm Committee Reports

The meeting will be at 7 pm Thursday, December 4th, at the North Highline Fire District HQ, 1243 SW 112th.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is promising a major presence at Thursday night’s North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting, including newly announced Storefront Deputy Julian Chivington. From NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin, the official meeting announcement:

North Highline Unincorporated Area Council Meeting
When: Thursday – November 6 7 pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station, 1243 SW 112th Street

Mark your calendars and plan on joining NHUAC for an important community discussion with our special guests from the King County Sheriff’s Office – Sheriff John Urquhart, Major Jerrell Wills, and our new White Center Storefront Deputy, Julian Chivington. This is a great opportunity to meet our new storefront deputy and discuss community concerns with KCSO.

We are also pleased to be hosting John Taylor, King County Assistant Director, Water and Land Resources Division, who will provide updates and information on plans for the White Center Bog.

When: Thursday – Nov 6 7pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station 1243 SW 112th Street

All are welcome!!!!
see our website: northhighlineuac.org

Few details yet but according to King County Sheriff’s Twitter account, a “probable homicide” is being investigated right now in Top Hat. KCSO says “Major Crimes detectives” are on scene, as is the Medical Examiner, in the 10700 block of 6th Avenue S. (map).

It will be up to the KC Medical Examiner to identify the victim. pic.twitter.com/cXCYxrugIy

— KingcosoPIO (@kingcosoPIO) October 23, 2014

Three months after Deputy BJ Myers moved to a new role with the King County Sheriff’s Office, his successor as White Center Storefront Deputy has been announced. Just in from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates:

Deputy Julian Chivington has been selected as the new storefront deputy for the White Center community. Deputy Chivington has been with the King County Sheriff’s Office since 2008, and his most recent assignment was with the bicycle unit of our Metro Transit Police unit.

Earlier in his career he worked as a patrol deputy at our north precinct, primarily in the North Bend area. Prior to that, he worked as a patrol deputy assigned to our city of Shoreline contract.

In addition to his duties as the White Center storefront deputy, he is a member of our department’s TAC 30 team.

Deputy Chivington is looking forward to getting to know both the citizens and businesses of the White Center community.

A bit of his background is as follows:

He is originally from a small town in Ohio, leaving there when he joined the military. Deputy Chivington spent six and a half years serving in the U.S. Army, stationed initially at Fort Benning, and later at Fort Lewis. He was deployed to Iraq twice. On one of those deployments he was injured as a result of an IED which resulted in his military career being cut short.

Just two months ago, local leaders voiced concerns that the storefront deputy position might not be filled, and started a petition drive. If you don’t meet Deputy Chivington sooner, we’re told the Sheriff’s Office will be featured prominently at the next North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meeting (7 pm Thursday, November 6th), so make plans to be there.

King County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a stabbing in a home near 1st SW and 108th early today. The victim was taken to a hospital with injuries described as life-threatening; they don’t believe the attack was random. The suspect left in a 1996 Ford Probe, blue with a red bumper, WA license APA0835 – call 911 if you see it.

CORRECTION 10/20: The victim was male, not female as our original headline had said.

We received a few questions about a motorcycle crash near the Chase Bank in White Center early Sunday. Sorry that it’s taken us so long to get the information, but in case you were still wondering, here’s what King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. DB Gates is able to tell us:

There was a serious-injury, one-motorcycle collision on 09.07.14 around 2:30 AM at SW 98 and White Center Cutoff Road.

The sole driver (no passenger) was taken to Harborview with life-threatening injuries but I’ve had no update on his current condition.

The driver was a 34 year old man last known to have a Whatcom County address. Detectives from our Major Accident and Reconstruction Unit responded. It’s believed speed and alcohol and/or drugs were factors. The investigation will take some time to complete.

Thanks to those who asked – you are welcome to text/call us about breaking White Center news any time at our main WSB/WCN number, 206-293-6302 – usually we’ll find out faster, but this time we weren’t able to get out to the scene.

By Tracy Record
White Center Now editor

Tough to have a meeting during a big game – but the issues before the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council couldn’t wait, and its Thursday night meeting went on as scheduled, despite the Seahawks’ concurrent home opener (ending, just before the meeting ended, with fireworks exploded by fans somewhere, audibly, nearby).

The marquee guest was King County Sheriff’s Office precinct commander Major Jerrell Wills (photo above), speaking about changes in KCSO, including scheduling changes, and the storefront-deputy situation (as previously reported, Deputy BJ Myers has been promoted to a new role and is no longer in the storefront; West Hill, to the east, has lost its storefront deputy too).

Maj. Wills said two candidates initially had sought the North Highline position, and neither worked out; he posted the job again (along with West Hill) and had no applicants, so he reposted, and “still doesn’t have any interested applicants” though the second posting was about to expire.

He says, “I’m not inclined to just pick someone” – a community liaison is a position to which he doesn’t favor drafting an appointee, he says, so he plans to discuss it again with Sheriff John Urquhart – he will not repost it, but hopes the sheriff will be “open to some of my operational ideas.” But, he says, White Center does still have “what most communities don’t have” – a community service officer (Peter Truong).

Major Wills stressed repeatedly that the “storefront deputy” is not the only KCSO position that can respond to concerns. Asked about current staffing, 6 deputies are on in the area per shift – 2 on Vashon, 2 in White Center/North Highline, 2 in Skyway. That would be more, Maj. Wills said, except for the fact his precinct alone has eight vacancies – the personnel situation is not a budget problem, but a personnel shortage problem, he insisted, adding that retirements are hitting the KCSO hard; many are getting to 30 years of service. (He mentioned that he’s been serving for 26 years.)

“We’re fighting an uphill battle,” he said about the problem, “so now we’re in a situation we’re calling redeployment.” For example, detectives who might be in specialized areas are being “redeployed to supplant our lack of staffing just to keep us at six (in the precinct) each shift.” That’s been happening since July and the union has agreed to let them keep doing it through January – “just so we can get to minimum every day.” And yet the retirements and other departures keep coming, he said.

“If not for the (staffing shortage), would we have more deputies assigned to the community?” asked NHUAC president Barbara Dobkin. Yes, there would be more per shift, Maj. Wills said. “What would that number be?” he was asked, but he didn’t have the specific number. “Per shift you might have two to three additional people.”

The attrition/recruiting problems are not unique to KCSO, Maj. Wills said. He also pointed out that the process of going through the academy causes a fair number of dropouts. They want to fill the positions, he insisted, “it’s just a challenge.”

Council member Elizabeth Gordon then asked Maj. Wills about homelessness/graffiti problems in certain areas, and he said he didn’t know about those specific problems, but did have an update on the pond/bog area. “That’s been a source of homeless encampments for some time,” he said, for the entirety of the two years he’s been here. Now signage is posted “all over” to warn campers that clearing is coming – “signage everywhere to notify, you can’t be in here, this is not a campground. … That’s the first part, education,” he said. Next part is cleaning – “King County code enforcement has been actively partnering with us to clean up the hedges, etc.” The cleanup was expected to start the following day and “they’re going to cut a road” so deputies can drive into the area, he added.

Once it’s been cleaned up, “then we’re going to go in and identify the people who are in there illegally and serve them with written notice that ‘you, John Doe, are no longer able to come back here … you’ve been warned’.” Then Community Service Officer Truong will help with figuring out some possible services/referrals for the people who are there: “We can’t arrest our way out of this,” declared Maj. Wills, so they hope to find housing/services for campers rather than just hauling them off to jail.

Major Wills also brought up the recent White Center bicycle-corral meeting and said while he’s not voicing a position on the proposed parking configuration, he found it helpful to be at that meeting – held in the KCSO storefront – to hear community concerns such as fears about safety (and lack of it) in the alleys. He said he plans to do some foot patrol in the alleys – “not to make arrests (but to) survey some of the issues I’m hearing about, the homeless, alcohol- and drug-addicted people who are impacting residents of North Highline.”

Another attendee wondered about whether anything can be done to attract a business or traffic to the vacant grocery store at 1st/112th in Top Hat, because, she says, it’s become a magnet for trouble. Dobkin said she’s been in touch with the owner, a Bellevue resident, who told Dobkin she is getting ready to sell the site, which is why there was tank abatement recently.

All in all, Maj. Wills said that they’re just trying to do “something” about a variety of problems. But, the people now camping at the bog “are not going to just vanish,” he said, then quipping, “It would be great if they would just go to the north side of Roxbury.”

Asked about recurring graffiti problems, he said covering it up as fast as possible is vital, or else it might just attract more.

A Metro Transit Police deputy (that agency is part of the King County Sheriff’s Office), Bill Kennamer, spoke up after Maj. Wills departed. He said he is assigned to the general West Seattle/White Center/vicinity area. The trouble spots he has addressed include 15th/Roxbury – “we’ve pushed them away, and now we all know where they are, they’re in the valley. … I try to tackle transit-related community problems.” He said he had “come to an agreement” with people who had sat in bus stops drinking their beer. He said, “The bus system is better now than it was before.”

Asked if the Westwood Village transit concentration had made anything worse, he said he had a “problem-solving project” open for that area, visited it “dozens and dozens of times,” and “closed it” because “the problems there are not Metro problems, they are park problems.”

There was a question about new graffiti vandalism on the former restaurant property on 16th/Ambaum, and about vandalism painted on some of the commercial buildings in downtown White Center. In general, it was reminded, they need to get owners’ permission to clean up graffiti and other such problems on private property.

King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, who was in attendance, was asked if his office might have meetings, a regular meet-and-greet, or a regular presence in downtown White Center. He said it might not be efficient or ideal for his office to continuously be the filter for county issues, when county government has other agencies and reps who can work with the community directly. But, McDermott added, he was there because it’s helpful to hear about community concerns.

Council member Gordon, who had brought up the issue, said that made sense but she asked because the community seems “fractured” and CM McDermott could be a “unifying force.”

Overall, president Dobkin explained, “We have a lot of issues here, and people feel like we’re being abandoned,” due to various factors, including the ongoing unincorporated status. “I mean, there are people sleeping in my alley. … People think everything is great in White Center, but it’s not.”

WANT TO BE ON THE NHUAC BOARD? If you live and/or work in the area, you’re invited to be part of it. Contact Dobkin through the NHUAC website.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: First thing on the agenda at the meeting:

*Council member Gordon had just come from a community-development forum in SeaTac and said those involved would be happy to have input from North Highline, such as “What are the issues that we’re facing and what are some of the barriers or challenges in getting them addressed?” For example, she said, “… there’s a lack of connection between the county and what goes on in this area … in particular, homelessness, things that go on in the business district.” A survey is online; find it here. President Dobkin said that Valerie Kendall, from the group overseeing the forums, would be at NHUAC next month, and that the survey is open for people to voice needs such as sidewalks.

Gordon also addressed the bike-corral concerns in downtown White Center, mentioning that possible alternatives are being looked at so that “another proposal” could be put out. She said community members’ opinions are being sought as well. Dobkin said that since it seems to be controversial and divisive, regarding the corral possibly replacing two motorized-vehicle-parking spaces, she thinks NHUAC shouldn’t take a position. Council member Pat Price said she found it hard to believe 20 people would come to downtown White Center riding bicycles. Dobkin and an attendee who didn’t identify himself pointed out that some of those who participated at the meeting and expressed support for the bike corral weren’t from White Center but instead were from West Seattle.

*Gordon also mentioned the Roxbury SW road safety project that is in the works (led by the Seattle Department of Transportation) and pointed people to the proposals that had been discussed at recent meetings. Dobkin said she had been to the first of the two meetings and was concerned that much of the work seemed to be happening on the west end; Gordon pointed to some of the proposals for the east end.

*Council member Price mentioned the White Center Food Bank‘s gala is coming up next month.

From the community, Gill Loring brought up four homeless camps in the “bog” (Neighborhood Pond) area, and said that another clearing operation is apparently planned in the area. He is particularly concerned that camp residents’ waste is going into the water. He added that there’s word of someone sleeping in an alley near his house, and urged people to report to 911 if that sort of thing is found (and, he added, make sure the dispatcher is clear you’re talking about the county, not the city).

*Final announcement – Gordon said seamountathletics.com has information about local high-school sports and their need for community support.

Watch northhighlineuac.org for word of the next meeting.

Questions/concerns about crime/safety/policing in White Center and vicinity? Bring them to next week’s September meeting of the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council:

NHUAC Meeting
When: Thursday, Sept 4 at 7pm
Where: North Highline Fire Station (1243 SW 112st Street)

Please plan on joining us for an important community discussion with Major Jerrell Wills from the King County Sheriff’s Office. This is an opportunity to let your voice be heard about concerns in the North Highline Community, and importantly, learn what the Sheriff’s Office is doing to replace the currently vacant White Center Storefront deputy position.

Deputy BJ Myers, who served as the White Center Storefront Deputy for the past 3 years, and a regular at NHUAC meetings, providing updates on public safety issues, will also be in attendance – for the last time.

Hope to see you all there –

Barbara Dobkin
President, North Highline Unincorporated Area Council

No replacement yet for the former King County Sheriff’s Office storefront deputy for White Center, BJ Myers, and local advocates are worried there might never be one, especially in the wake of a schedule-change message from KCSO’s local leadership. Now, an online petition is in circulation, asking Sheriff John Urquhart to appoint new deputies for Skyway as well as White Center:

We are counting on you to keep your promise to fully fund, staff, support, and incentivize storefront deputy positions for Skyway and White Center. It’s a matter of our safety.

If you’re interested in signing it, go here. We’ll be following up with KCSO about the deputy situation next week.

Thanks to North Highline Unincorporated Area Council president Barbara Dobkin for sharing photos from a lively Night Out gathering in NH – our apologies for delayed publication. Above, NH Fire District firefighters stopped by. Below, King County Sheriff’s Office was represented too – that’s Major Jerrell Wills in uniform:

And he wasn’t alone:

Next year, let us know if you are having a Night Out party – we would love to stop by a few, as we do on the other side of the city-county line – whitecenternow@gmail.com any time!

As previously announced, White Center’s assigned storefront deputy BJ Myers is moving on to a new assignment. He will not be immediately followed by a specific new assigned storefront deputy, according to KCSO’s Southwest Precinct Commander, Major Jerrell Wills. But the storefront still WILL be staffed, Major Wills explains. First, he shares the memo from Sheriff John Urquhart:

So here are the reasons for the operational change to the schedule in both storefronts [White Center and West Hill]:

1. The current 4/10 schedule does not allow for Friday and Saturday coverage at all. The new schedule does.

2. A storefront deputy should be available to the public five days a week, rather than four.

3. To reduce the need for overtime for community meetings by having the deputy more available during their shift.

4. Since KCSO did not receive budget authority for more deputies in 2015, a five day schedule allows for more deputies in the field.

5. Skyway, in particular, has seen a rash of gun violence this summer, and therefore the need for a deputy on at least that extra day compared to a 4/10.

6. The need to control costs. A non-rotating 4/10 schedule creates an extra expense (and days off) for Holiday pay.

In addition, due to budgetary reasons, it is unlikely we could sustain coverage with plain-clothes detectives for gang and firearm violence occurring in the West Hill community after August. So additional coverage with another uniformed deputy later in the evening is paramount. The new schedule allows the storefront deputy to work later (10:00 PM) five days a week. In addition that position can be “flexed” four hours either way. So if the need arises, the deputy can come in at 10:00 AM or work until 2:00 AM in the morning, for example on Friday and Saturday nights. (Actually having more deputies working later was a suggestion from one of our West Hill Deputies.)

Therefore, both storefront deputies were told they would be working five days per week, 8 hours per day, on 2nd shift, which is 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM, and affords Friday and Saturday coverage nine months of the year.

As Sheriff, I remain committed to the White Center and West Hill communities and doing what is best for that neighborhood and all neighborhoods where we offer police services.

Sheriff John Urquhart

Major Wills explained, “I regret to have to share the message from Sheriff Urquhart via email, but since there has been a transition of our White Center storefront deputy I felt I needed to get the word out as soon as possible. The immediate impact to this operational change means that neither the White Center or West Hill communities will have an assigned storefront deputy. I am hopeful that we will be able to identify a deputy for each community and the absence of your storefront deputy will only be temporary, but for now we will not have a deputy assigned to either community.

“I look forward to meeting with your community very soon and hope that we can work together to select your next deputy. In the meantime, please continue your vigilance against crime by calling 9-1-1 for emergencies and suspicious circumstances, and if you should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email either Captain Ted Boe or I.”