lake city

Seattle’s New Strategy After months of complaints from neighbors, Seattle Parks and Recreation has temporarily shut down Lake City Mini Park. The move was made a few days ago. Unclear when it will re-open. The drug encampments, sex trafficking, shootings, and fights were just too much for this community. The city is clearly acknowledging neighbor concerns. But is this really going to be the strategy moving forward to deal with crime emanating from encampments? This is a horrible sign for public safety in the city.

Encampment at the Center of Crime Concerns More insane violence in Seattle’s Lake City neighborhood now being blamed on the homeless drug ecosystem. Neighbors are wondering why Mayor Bruce Harrell is ignoring the problem. Since the double homicide at Virgil Flaim Park earlier this month, there have been more stabbing/slashing incidents. Sources on the ground tell me most of the criminals flow through this encampment at Lake City Mini Park. Elected officials and cops know this as well but are being accused of looking the other way. How come?

Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands After years of failure and neglect under Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and certain city councilmembers, an insurgent group of Lake City neighbors are now turning to We Heart Seattle for help. They’re taking matters into their own hands and forming a community coalition to address homeless drug encampments and crime before it’s too late. The recent murders at Virgil Flaim Park pushed them over the edge and they’re now preparing to publicly shame politicians into action.

Things Get Worse in Lake City Neighbors have been flooding my inbox saying another encampment is forming in Lake City Mini Park. Sunday evening, I went to check it out when some insane nut job chased me all the way to my car and attempted to get inside. This is by far one of the most dangerous encounters I’ve had in Seattle. The folks here seem more mean spirited and aggressive. Many people living here have refused offers of shelter and services from the city and continue to use fentanyl in the tents. This camp is also being blamed for a dramatic rise in vandalism and theft in the area. I recognized several men and women who simply moved here Read More ›

Rinse and Repeat The vicious cycle continues. Lake City has some of the most problematic encampments. For some reason, the city allows it to pile up instead of getting in front of these situations. Monday morning, vast majority of people walked away from the sweep without taking any help being offered. Once again, it’s the drugs and mental illness fueling this crisis on the streets. This part of the neighborhood around NE 125th St and 33rd Ave NE is also home to several low income housing apts and low barrier units. In other words, this is ground zero for a drug fueled ecosystem. No idea how you run a business around here. The owners of the Ethiopian restaurant say the Read More ›