One man's mission to clean up Belltown
A local bartender says crime and drug use are plaguing the streets of Belltown, and he wants the governor to send in the Washington State Patrol to clean up the neighborhood.
SEATTLE -- A local bartender says crime and drug use are plaguing the streets of Belltown, and he wants the governor to send in the Washington State Patrol to clean up the neighborhood.
Brett Paulson works at Txori, a tapas bar in the 2200 block of Second Avenue. He knows every corner of the neighborhood like the back of his hand. Paulson can point out the corner where local junkies gather to score drugs. He also recognizes "crack alley," a pungent-smelling place he knows to avoid.
But knowing his way around isn't good enough for Paulson anymore. He's passing around a petition asking Gov. Chris Gregoire to send in outside help.
Paulson says Seattle police patrol the area for drug use and street crime, but they're usually understaffed and overwhelmed. This may be why some people in Belltown say things just won't change.
"You all got to understand one thing. We've been down here longer than they have," said one man.
Drugs are dealt in the open on Belltown streets -- an eerily familiar truth for one woman in recovery.
"I used to be the person that smoked the crack on the corner," said Megan Liller, a recovering crack addict.
Liller says the addict she knows won't stop.
"(Your average addict) has no regard for the people down here just trying to do their job, the tourists, whatever," she said.
And Paulson isn't willing to stop, even though he knows his petition might fail. He says someone's got to try.
"We're trying to live down here. We're trying to run businesses down here, and we're not going to take it anymore. That's what these signatures are saying," he said.
Paulson will gather 2,000 signatures then send the petition to the governor. But Washington State Patrol says it will only intervene if specifically requested to do to by Seattle police.
SEATTLE -- A local bartender says crime and drug use are plaguing the streets of Belltown, and he wants the governor to send in the Washington State Patrol to clean up the neighborhood.
Brett Paulson works at Txori, a tapas bar in the 2200 block of Second Avenue. He knows every corner of the neighborhood like the back of his hand. Paulson can point out the corner where local junkies gather to score drugs. He also recognizes "crack alley," a pungent-smelling place he knows to avoid.
But knowing his way around isn't good enough for Paulson anymore. He's passing around a petition asking Gov. Chris Gregoire to send in outside help.
Paulson says Seattle police patrol the area for drug use and street crime, but they're usually understaffed and overwhelmed. This may be why some people in Belltown say things just won't change.
"You all got to understand one thing. We've been down here longer than they have," said one man.
Drugs are dealt in the open on Belltown streets -- an eerily familiar truth for one woman in recovery.
"I used to be the person that smoked the crack on the corner," said Megan Liller, a recovering crack addict.
Liller says the addict she knows won't stop.
"(Your average addict) has no regard for the people down here just trying to do their job, the tourists, whatever," she said.
And Paulson isn't willing to stop, even though he knows his petition might fail. He says someone's got to try.
"We're trying to live down here. We're trying to run businesses down here, and we're not going to take it anymore. That's what these signatures are saying," he said.
Paulson will gather 2,000 signatures then send the petition to the governor. But Washington State Patrol says it will only intervene if specifically requested to do to by Seattle police.