Organization looking to curb crime in University District
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SEATTLE -- The University of Washington's fall quarter means a flood of new students, and police say it also means a spike in crime.
Community members have taken notice of the of uptick in crime and are determined to make the area safer and more vibrant.
Kristine Cunningham is one of the people working to revitalize the U-District by tackling the worst public safety concerns.
"The few incidents that we have had got a lot of press and people assume, oh that's the U-District, the U-District is really gross and violent," she said. "Well, we have the same crime data per capita as Green Lake."
Cunningham and others are using a $70,000 grant to help revamp the area as part of a project called The U-District Livability Partnership.
Fighting crime is the partnership's top priority, and that's music to the ears of students who've seen crime in the area.
"They literally stole everything out of her hands," said Anna Ko. "She had her Macbook, Macbook pro, her iPhone and everything, but the thing is they couldn't do anything about it."
Cunningham is working with Seattle police, campus officials and business owners to chart safety issues that matter most.
"We have one spot where there are a lot of pot sales. What are we going to do about that? We're calling that our hotspot," she said.
But there's more in store for the U-District than just extra patrols. Plans are in the works to help maximize walkability in the area, especially once the Light Rail Station opens.
"We want to make this so it is a residential neighborhood again," Cunningham said.
The Livability Partnership is still in its early stages, and strategies are still being drawn up to deal with the top issues on the list.
Community members have taken notice of the of uptick in crime and are determined to make the area safer and more vibrant.
Kristine Cunningham is one of the people working to revitalize the U-District by tackling the worst public safety concerns.
"The few incidents that we have had got a lot of press and people assume, oh that's the U-District, the U-District is really gross and violent," she said. "Well, we have the same crime data per capita as Green Lake."
Cunningham and others are using a $70,000 grant to help revamp the area as part of a project called The U-District Livability Partnership.
Fighting crime is the partnership's top priority, and that's music to the ears of students who've seen crime in the area.
"They literally stole everything out of her hands," said Anna Ko. "She had her Macbook, Macbook pro, her iPhone and everything, but the thing is they couldn't do anything about it."
Cunningham is working with Seattle police, campus officials and business owners to chart safety issues that matter most.
"We have one spot where there are a lot of pot sales. What are we going to do about that? We're calling that our hotspot," she said.
But there's more in store for the U-District than just extra patrols. Plans are in the works to help maximize walkability in the area, especially once the Light Rail Station opens.
"We want to make this so it is a residential neighborhood again," Cunningham said.
The Livability Partnership is still in its early stages, and strategies are still being drawn up to deal with the top issues on the list.
Pot like any drug (including alcohol) when done illegaly draws a crimminal element. If it was lagal SOME of the problem will go away but, with the under age users on campas it will still be there. With that the pot dealers need to be removed from the area and the buyers sent back to the areas they came from. Then it will become the great place it once was. I remember walking the AVE all night shooting pictures of the people there in the early 80's and not ever having a problem. I will not go there after dark now......
If you need any help organizing efforts or spreading awareness, please let me know (@charynpfeuffer). We are non-students living in the U-District and witness crime on an almost daily basis.Â
Oh yes Go after those pot smokers i"ll feel so much safer walking in the night. Not
 @Seattle Actually you will. Stop being simple minded. Like, oh, once it is legal the sky will open and there will be unicorns leading everyone around a drum circle...
Pot is part of the problem because most of your oh-so-cool pot hook ups on the street are also dealing in stolen property as well. Its a bigger total enterprise. And there have already been cases of medical mj users being caught selling pot on the street. People steal from students and trade goods for a variety of drugs. Lousy landlords in the area rent to low level criminals and general scumbags, that is a problem for the area. Peter Holmes refuses to use existing laws to keep chronic trouble makers out of peoples neighborhoods, that is a problem. Business owners need to get out sweeping the sidewalks and making the scumbags in general feel real unwelcome and stop whining about the problems, expecting only the police to solve them. Property owners need to stop renting to tiny convenience stores that survive on alcohol sales to the tune of an over population of them in the business list on the Ave, that is a problem. Shelter managers need to promote good behavior among their charges when they send them out into the U District in the mornings. Students creating a market for dealers in the first place is a problem. But BlueH20 is right about the sense of community factor.Â
Pot isn't the problem. Transit persons are.  We used to own a doughnut shop in the district during the late 60's and it was a fabulous place. People respecting people.A community within itself. That's what it needs to be again.
 @BlueH20 I'm pretty sure you meant to write transient, not transit.