Julianne Andersen <julianne@alphafemale.net 07/11 4:03 PM
To: The Powers That Be:

Captain Nicholas Metz/SPD
Officer Kim Bogucki/SPD
Mayor Paul Schell
Councilman Richard Conlin
Andrew Taylor/Chair: Miller-Madison

Re: 22nd & Madison

Last night at 11:15, four people settled themselves upon the upper porch of
the newly vacant house next door (141 22nd) to mine (139 22nd) and started
smoking crack. Upon being noticed, one of the people belligerently yelled
something to the effect that we needed to give her a beer, while one of them
followed my roommate up the sidewalk and stood at our fenceline glowering at
him. Knowing full well we'd be calling 911 post-haste, the group dispersed.
Having trespassed, used drugs, employed harassment and intimidation, they
disappeared back into the night. Until the next time.

Was that an isolated incident? No. I assume the City and the Police
Department are painfully aware of the situation, past and present, here on
22nd Ave, between Madison & John, as part of the larger neighborhood's
ongoing (and if I may add, escalating) chronic drug, prostitution, and
property crime problem. I'd like to take minute to plead for our future
via illustrating our day-to-day existence living on-site, last night being
the most recent of incidents.

Monday night, July 9th, Scott Mills (118 22nd) witnessed a group of people
congregated and smoking crack on the southern corner of 22nd and Madison,
which did in fact escalate into a loud argument amongst the group and
seemed headed towards a fistfight before Scott and the other neighbors
shouted at them to move along or they'd call the Police.

2 weeks ago, one of the tenants at that end of the block (109 22nd) came
home late to find an empty "40" bottle on his front lawn. Frustrated with
the chronic crime and litter we neighbors are forced to contend with
constantly, he took the bottle and tossed it over his fence into the
abandoned property next to his (107 22nd, Aka the "Gardener House").
Unfortunately, that bottle came dangerously close to hitting the unseen 3
some women that were crouching in those bushes whilst smoking crack on that
property and an immediate altercation ensued between one of the more vocal
"Ladies" and the resident in question. The woman eventually moved along as
he threatened, again, to call the Police.

I have a friend on 22nd (between Madison and Union), and on the nights I
drive her home (it's hardly safe for a lone woman to walk those 4 blocks) I
encounter trouble getting through the 21st and Madison intersection due to
the various vehicles idling in the intersection, regardless of the light,
doing whatever transactions with blatant disregard and in full sight.

Dennis (143 22nd) is having problems with unknown people sitting uninvited
on his porch and leaving lighted matches burning. There are numerous
incident reports filed with SPD and the Arson Investigators. Pat (130 22nd)
has a reoccurring visitor that comes through her yard and knocks on her door
to request "Three Dollars". She refuses him time and time again, yet he
returns with the same routine. Lori (133 22nd) has been attacked AND has
been broken into repeatedly (Incident reports filed). We hear the little
old lady at the very South corner of 22nd and Madison had her lawn furniture
stolen a few weeks back. It is completely out of hand down here. Every
neighbor has a story and or stories. I'm happy to recount them all, should
I be able to recount/remember them all.

These incidents and more have been unfolding over the last few years or the
last few days. It is the chronic cycle of crime that is up and down,
tolerable and not tolerable, but always present. Acknowledging that "Urban
Living" comes with a certain degree of "Subculture" activity owing to the
dense population and wide demographics of lifestyles and income etc., I for
one can assure you that we understand that noise, litter, and other petty
drug and property crime is bound to exist. I must protest now, in that the
situation is no longer tolerable or understandable, shows no signs of
abating, and is absolutely going to escalate into violence at his rate.

We are an active street. We are part of the larger Miller-Madison
Neighborhood Association. We attend meetings, write letters, walk around,
and communicate frequently amongst ourselves, and we watch out for each
other. We follow police instructions and call 911 as much as we can
rationalize doing, knowing that any response will be mitigated by the other
circumstances at that moment and as often as not, unfortunately result in no
response at all. Therefore, we will stand up for ourselves figuratively and
literally, as I did last night, on my sidewalks, with my "Maglight" and my
cordless phone, until 12:15 to TRY and insure the element didn't return
immediately, which is a valiant, albeit it pointless and probably dangerous
effort on my part. In that 60 minutes, I did not anticipate or encounter
any police response from the 911 call, since we had mentioned the activity
had ceased, but we all know it will return, sooner or later. I just tried
to discourage "Sooner". We the neighbors are tired, we are frustrated, and
it's just getting worse. We are routinely harassed, threatened, and
invaded. Sound familiar? It is ironic that we, as in the entire community,
law-abiding and not, white/black/green, home-owners and renters and visitors
(legitimate and otherwise) all feel the palpatable power and property
struggles that occupy every part of being in this neighborhood.

We understand also the SPD is having quite it's own set of problems. From
chronic lack of resources, to the current brou-ha-ha over the shooting at 23
& Union, we are aware that there is no easy or obvious solution.

However, I do implore you, for myself, my household, and behalf of my
equally tired and frustrated neighbors, most of whom have simply abandoned
all hope and hide in their homes, to do SOMETHING.

Please feel free to get in touch with any questions, comments, requests, or
inquiries. I am available to contribute in any way possible towards helping
to stop the encroachment of crime in my neighborhood;

Julianne Andersen; 139 22nd Ave; Seattle, WA 98112

And, as an equally important postscript: Please also let me add that I
wholeheartedly appreciate the work that the S.P.D. and the individual
Officers do accomplish every day. The community understands the intrinsic
difficulty of policing, esp. in a multi-culture, mixed demographic,
historically high crime neighborhood such as ours (IE, 20th through 23,
Madison to Union area) and we support the Officers that struggle with it
daily, and are grateful to the Police Community for doing the best job
possible with the resources available and with admirable determination and
integrity. Specifically, of course, I offer my support and praise to
Officers Price and Neubert for many years of committed and successful
community police work which should not be undervalued or forgotten as the
media and political mayhem surrounding the Aaron Roberts shooting, granted a
terrible thing for all involved, unfortunately continues. I believe the
majority of the neighborhood's residents and business owners support and
appreciate these officers, all the officers, and the S.P.D. presence
overall.

Furthermore, or course, our regards to the Mayor. Nobody likes getting
popped with a megaphone.

Subject: Re: The ongoing and escalating problems @ 22nd & Madison area

Ms. Andersen,

Thank you for your e-mail. I want you to know that we certainly are concerned
about what has been occurring around your neighborhood and find the activity
appalling.

We are working together in creating a plan that will encompass all shifts to
address the narcotic and other criminal activity in your area. This includes
working directly with neighboring businesses; increased visibility;
enforcement of criminal activity; etc.

We are committed to ensuring that the quality of life in your neighborhood is
one in which everyone can feel safe and proud. If you have any further
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 684-4333.

Thank you,

Captain Nicholas Metz
East Precinct

Hey Neighbors, Julianne here (139), and I've had a chance to talk to ya'all
individually, or I haven't, about what's going on. Basically, we're
experiencing a more intense level of trouble around the street probably
owing to the "De-policing" and/or the Seattle Times loud proclamation
thereof, in part or in whole. Who knows, really, but it's been more awful
that usual. Officer Kim Bogucki has requested we individually write letters
witnessing our day to day trouble we encounter due to the chronic crime
problems in the area, to demonstrate to the SPD and the City what we're
dealing with. I took it upon myself to volunteer my experiences and the
experiences I've heard about from the neighbors I talk to frequently, and to
recount their stories as best as I can, all as an effort to clearly
illustrate that we are having trouble ranging from basic to terrible, and
that it's escalating. I will plainly admit to being a little frightened at
present. I will now implore ya'all to write similar letters and send them
to those parties below, if you haven't already. I've added Nick Metz's (Our
Precinct Captain) reply to mine as well as my letter for your reference.
Andrew Taylor (Miller-Madison Neighborhood Assoc. Chairman) is also
encouraging the same action. I encourage you to add a few nice words to
the SPD in the light of the shooting at 23 & Union, but that will have to
follow one's own feelings on the matter. Always feel free to get in touch
with me for any questions, comments, inquiries, or to borrow gardening tools
(Hi Sylvia)...Let see if we can squeaky-wheel some positive improvement
before things truly get ugly. Thanks much - Julianne

<KrisLHansen@aol.com 07/09 8:28 AM

Captain Metz,

I am concerned with the negative perception of de-policing in my
neighborhood. Recently several officers were quoted as being hesitant to
perform routine duties in the Central District. I believe this has sent the
wrong message to the counter-culture in the area.

In the last month there has been three property thefts and a hit-and-run on
my block. Narcotics trafficking, substance abuse and prostitution has also
been rising. These negative activities are spilling into our neighborhood
and I am disappointed to see this traffic return. As recent as a year ago, I
would have found this activity common place but the Fall 2000 Weed and Seed
grant has given us a reprieve until now.

I was encouraged to see Lt. Best at the Miller Park Community Meeting and
hear about target operations planned in the area. I can appreciate the time
these task forces spend in my neighborhood and the immediate response that
follows these efforts. However, it does not take the place of regular patrols
and support from our Community Police Officers. SPD can not simply provide
emphasis and then walk away from an area historically known for high
narcotics. Daily support is necessary to maintain a minimum level of safety
on our streets.

The passive response to 911 calls has also contributed to a great amount of
the crime on 22nd Ave East. Earlier this week I called 911 to report several
men drinking and openly smoking crack in front of my house. The 911 operator
said, "So what is the problem?" After explaining again that we would like a
police response, the operator sighed said she would report it as a noise
problem. We waited thirty minutes without police response. This attitude
and the prevailing attitude of officers quoted in the newspapers, leads to
frustration on the community level.

Miller Park is an active neighborhood with several citizen groups working
towards the enrichment of our community. From your attendance at our
Community meetings and Block Watch, I hope you realize we support the SPD in
our neighborhood and welcome an end to the adverse culture here. We need to
collectively regain momentum in this neighborhood and we need to do it prior
to repeats of the dangerous incidents I reported to you last year. We have
all worked too hard to drive this activity out - let's keep it out.

I look forward to your suggestions and support.

Kristine Hansen
KrisLHansen@aol.com

Thank you for your e-mail. My apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

The activities that have been occurring in and around your neighborhood is
unacceptable. That feeling is certainly shared by those who work within the
East Precinct.

We have been in the process of developing a strategic plan that we are
confident will decrease narcotic and other criminal behavior. Our strategy
will include a multi-prong approach that will include, but not be limited to
ensuring increased visibility and enforcement of criminal behavior; working
with neighboring businesses and residents to seek their cooperation and
support; working with outside agencies (Liquor Control, Department of
Corrections, etc.) to provide necessary support.

Our precinct is committed to improving the quality of life in your
neighborhood to a level in which you can feel safe and proud.

The sector sergeants responsible for your area are:

Sergeant Joe Lam (works 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
Sergeant Dave Unger (works 7:00 PM to 4:00 AM)

They can be reached at 684-4300. If they are not available you can ask to
speak to the Relief Sergeant or the Watch Commander.

If you need to talk to me, please feel free to call me at 684-4333.

Thank you.

Captain Nicholas Metz
East Precinct