South Seattle residents suffer as crime, gun violence spread
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SEATTLE - An eye-opening map from Seattle police shows how many crimes have been committed in South Seattle just in the past week.
Each icon represents a crime ranging from purse snatchings to shootings - including the one last night in the parking lot of a Safeway store off Rainier Avenue.
And now residents say they are sick and tired of it - and they're ready to take their neighborhood back.
A tweet posted Friday night by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn posted said, "Just briefed by Captain Low at site rainier beach shooting. Extra emphasis patrols this weekend."
But community leaders in South Seattle say it's not enough - they need extra patrols for the long term.
In the past 24 hours in the Rainier Valley there have been two dangerous incidents - both involving loaded guns.
"It's very discouraging, but unfortunately it's nothing new," says Pat Murakami, president of the South Seattle Crime Prevention Council.
The shooting Friday evening at Rainier Avenue South and 52nd Avenue South, in the corner of the Safeway parking lot, is in an area that saw several fatal shootings in 2012.
Police are on the hunt for the gunman in the Friday night incident.
"We've had on-going problems with violence - and especially gun violence - in South Seattle. And the city isn't doing enough to address it," says Murakami.
Then around 1 a.m. Saturday, an argument between two men inside the Royal Esquire Club spilled into the parking lot where one man threatened the other with a loaded gun. No arrests were made.
"We need more officers in this precinct," says Murakami.
The area is assigned officers based on the number of calls to 911. But Murakami says that's not enough - and here's why.
"Most crimes are not reported. … People don't call because their afraid of authority, don't speak English well enough, not sure how the system works," she says.
The South Seattle Crime Prevention Council sent a letter to Mayor Mike McGinn this summer asking for a stationary mobile unit in the area where the shooting happened last night - but so far their request has not been filed.
Each icon represents a crime ranging from purse snatchings to shootings - including the one last night in the parking lot of a Safeway store off Rainier Avenue.
And now residents say they are sick and tired of it - and they're ready to take their neighborhood back.
A tweet posted Friday night by Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn posted said, "Just briefed by Captain Low at site rainier beach shooting. Extra emphasis patrols this weekend."
But community leaders in South Seattle say it's not enough - they need extra patrols for the long term.
In the past 24 hours in the Rainier Valley there have been two dangerous incidents - both involving loaded guns.
"It's very discouraging, but unfortunately it's nothing new," says Pat Murakami, president of the South Seattle Crime Prevention Council.
The shooting Friday evening at Rainier Avenue South and 52nd Avenue South, in the corner of the Safeway parking lot, is in an area that saw several fatal shootings in 2012.
Police are on the hunt for the gunman in the Friday night incident.
"We've had on-going problems with violence - and especially gun violence - in South Seattle. And the city isn't doing enough to address it," says Murakami.
Then around 1 a.m. Saturday, an argument between two men inside the Royal Esquire Club spilled into the parking lot where one man threatened the other with a loaded gun. No arrests were made.
"We need more officers in this precinct," says Murakami.
The area is assigned officers based on the number of calls to 911. But Murakami says that's not enough - and here's why.
"Most crimes are not reported. … People don't call because their afraid of authority, don't speak English well enough, not sure how the system works," she says.
The South Seattle Crime Prevention Council sent a letter to Mayor Mike McGinn this summer asking for a stationary mobile unit in the area where the shooting happened last night - but so far their request has not been filed.
Rainier Valley chamber of commerce identifies the Royal Esquire Club as a Black gentlemen's club. sexist and racist- at the same time- and now violent!
every city council member ought to have a mandatory ride along with the police in the south precinct- they expect the votes but don't want to serve the people.
Violence in South Seattle? Nothing new. Thatâs why the government rather spend time and money on projects like gender neutral  language.
If crime goes unreported that might be a clue as to why things are out of hand. No matter how many police are in the area they can't watch everything going on. These people who are not calling because they don't speak english or don't understand the system perhaps it's time they take the responsibility to learn and become active in protecting their neighborhoods. The sooner they start calling the police the sooner the word will get out in the neighborhood that there are people willing to report crime and the perps count on not getting turned in.
@Jatok With all due respect, yours is probably one of the most ignorant posts I've ever seen. I hate to break it to you, but not everyone who lives in South Seattle is a gang member, someone who doesn't speak English, or a someone who doesn't understand the system. This Safeway is about four blocks from my house. We have active neighborhood communities, active crime prevention, and active relationships with law enforcement. Seriously, your post is offensive in the extreme, though it really does little other than display your stupidity.
If you want to get rid of the killings in south seattle get rid of the gangs. Send the illegals home and incarcerate the home grown sociopaths. That's the only solution and that's not going to happen. Not PC. Instead they will beg taxpayer for money for more midnight basketball or something just as inane.
I think we should just ban South Seattle.
 @concernedcitizenÂ
This comment made my night.
Breaking News: Nation's children suffer as incidence of childhood obesity soars. Parents to blame. After years or nearly non-existent spoon control laws, legislators refuse to take action!
 @KOMOdo-dragon True. If only they would ban assault spoons and high capacity bowls. Then everything will be peachy.
In other news, Heart disease kills more US citizens than all other other causes; nearly 10 times the rate of death from guns.
"Hello teacher tell me what's my lesson"?
Maybe if we tightened up our gun laws enough, perhaps even banned concealed carry, then our crime and homicide rates would plummet, just like in Chicago, where handguns are all but outlawed!
@RN1 If you tighten up gun laws and ban concealed carry or any kind of weapon you are only doing so for the honest citizen. Criminals will still carry without a permit, they will still get illegal guns, and taking them away from honest citizens will only make it easier for criminals to commit their crimes, and leave the honest citizens with no way to defend themselves. Think about it!Â
 @Mike @hopeforthefuture If you read anything else by RN1 you'll know they are being sarcastic. RN1 is definitely on the gun team.
 @SargeMcC  @Mike  @hopeforthefuture Yup. Juuuust a wee tad bit. :-)
 @SargeMcC  @hopeforthefuture Thanks
 @RN1 Do you really believe what you just said, Chicago has been a joke since the 20's just shows what happens when the Democrats in power to long. Even Obama moved out, and he is moving to Hawaii in 4 years.
 @RN1 The single city of Chicago had more gun deaths than all of AFGHANISTAN in 2012. Obama and his buddies know what they're doing when it comes to 3rd world ideas. He's fostered his own little slice of Liberia to prove it!
it will be over soon.
 @BuddyHolly that will be the day.
 @Rick4001CS  @BuddyHolly :-)  Caught me off guard on that one.
We wouldn't have gang problems if the wealthy Mercer Island elite would give their money to the governent to "redistribute" to these low income folks... it's simple mathematics, and the problem is, it's all the republicans faults, just ask Obama.Â
WTF? I live on MI. I'm hardly rich.
 @blaster Ah, just how I like my sarcasm. Laid on so thick it's positively dripping.
 @blaster Just give THEIR MONEY that to me do not sound right. THEIR MONEY
 @blaster There would be a lot less problems had the low income not had there wealth transferred up to the rich also. You'll never understand or care but, the low income and communities of color are hit much harder in recessions and depressions then others. Hell, you may even be happy for it.
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This has been 6 years of misery for white families while their poverty grew with no sign of help for anyone but the rich, just imagine what it must be like in the ghettos of America. Hopeless, dangerous and getting worse by the minute.
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The social and economic injustices will impact everyone sooner or later, island or no island and some of the obvious impacts are going to be much worse violence everywhere. This what it looks like to take from the poor and provide for the rich or, the only "redistribution" thats taken place in the US.
 @T_BONE_WALKER  @blaster Every single person in America has an opportunity to make something of themselves. Just because you may be born with more pigment in your skin doesn't mean your "wealth will be transferred up to the rich". Yes there are injustices but to generalize the minorities as oppressed in this manner is only perpetuating the problem. Why can't we expect people to take responsibility for themselves and do something about their situation instead of simply claiming that they are oppressed and throw money at them? Thats not fair to the minorities that are encouraged to remain "victims" and its not fair to all the people who pay for them to play victim.Â
Frankly, I'm feeling a lot less safe now that I live in North Seattle than I did when I was in South Seattle, and if the police reports aren't really doing much to change that:
North-Â http://imgur.com/XMBrRTK
South-Â http://imgur.com/xVYesdUÂ
The scum is going to run us all out of town now that we have put the fear into our Police department. It WILL get a lot worse. Get your guns loaded and CWP paperwork filled out if you want to protect yourself and family.
 @ObsidianOne Or just open carry if the PDs try to stall or deny your CPL.
Seattle still has its head in the sand when its comes to it might have a gang problem..
 @Windowseat I have heard from friends in law enforcement that a branch of the Hoover Street Crips have moved to Seattle And are or have taken over the C.D. That Pawn Shop robbery last summer in Burien were they tried to steel guns and Sport Co in Fife. I think like everything else in the news we are lied to, for some one else benefit. The city has let the C.D.turn into a hell hole blame the guns and not the gangs.
I voted for McGinn, but he seems to be another mayor that's ignoring the most important thing that a mayor can do for a city, which is to lock up the bad guys and make the streets safer. Boil it all down, and that's what people want, safer neighborhoods.
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The national debate on gun control has been raging for months, and even at the local levels I have yet to hear any politicians suggest increasing jail time or reforming laws related to violent crime, especially when guns are involved.Â
 @lakeview You get what you voted for, the rest of the sane people who voted against McGoo (who ran on a platform of supporting unconstitutional and illegal laws which he made the city to pay millions fighting in the courts only to be finally defeated at WA's supreme court) could see what he was a mile away. You made your bed now sleep in it.Â
 @lakeviewÂ
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Peter Holmes is too busy trying to be the "cool" city attorney to put thugs behind bars. The thug huggers have too much sway in city government right now. In reality it is probably a small number of individuals causing most of the violence in Seattle and why decision makers don't seem to want to just get them off the streets with strong sentencing is beyond me. Politicians and the media are too invested in playing to the professional activists rather than engaging actual community members or putting public safety ahead of the myth that thugs are really awesome people.Â
Call James Bible he has all the answers... He knows just how to fix this.
 @schramalot If all these problems went away, James Bible wouldn't have a job.
@StringerJoe ...seems to me some would be better off also....(is that contribution enough?)
 @schramalot way to contribute to the debate
Maybe he should contribute to the solution instead of being part of the issue. If people respond to his "leadership" (debatable term) there would be more cooperation. So whereas I am not contributing (you called it) I am not pretending to eitherâ¦.
 @schramalot If you had made that comment instead, it would have been contributing, just saying...
But they just had the gun buy back! Shouldn't firearm crime be decreasing?Â
 @Scott according to king 5 report the cops are now selling guns to people who they "hope" will be responsible gun owners
 @Scott The gun buy backs are just a tool available for residents to get rid of guns that THEY don't want. No one ever claimed it was going to reduce crime.Â
@lakeview âThis gun buyback program can help us protect public health and safety and reduce gun violence in our communities,â said McGinn McGinn, Dow Constantine, Pete Carrol, and others have all said that one of the purposes of the buy back was to reduce crime. Thanks for playing!
 @lakeview  The buy back was promoted as a means to reduce "gun violence". You amaze us once again with your total lack of facts.
 @lakeview  @Snoop And you still ignore the federal laws that forbid it, god you are dense.Â
@lakeview @Snoop You are incorrect (AGAIN). "Assault Weapon" ban. is it banning all guns? no, but it would ban a great deal of guns commonly used by people. While those in existence would be grandfathered in you could not transfer them. Meaning.... if I had a "banned" weapon then I couldn't even pass it onto my heirs.
@lakeview @Snoop Your first reply to me was 100% incorrect...
@lakeview @Snoop The average Joe cannot own a machine gun in Washington state. If you are a FFL'ed manufacturer you can work around that but otherwise machine guns are a no-go.
 @oledawg  Oh ,, I beg to differ my friend. In his original comment he suggested it was legal to openly own a fully automatic machine gun in Washington State. That is totally false ,,,, NO ONE in the USA was allowed under 1934 Federal law to possess a machine gun unless you applied for a class 3 firearms permit. That permit was extremely hard to get and you had to pay taxes yearly to keep the permit valid. He conveniently left that tiny little fact out of his so called 100% correct statement.
 @Snoop  @lakeview It's not that hard to follow, "I was 100% right" was in reference to that single topic.  "I am almost always right here" was in reference to his posting history as a whole.
 @lakeview As far as being 'grandfathered' in to own a fully automatic firearm, you wouldn't be kidding, because since 1934 it has been illegal to own a machine gun without the proper paperwork and authorization.
 http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcfullau.html
@lakeview, WOW, just a little full of ourselves aren't we? Narcissistic?
 @lakeview Duh ,,,,, how is "almost always right" translate into "I was 100% right". That,s some kind of fuzzy math your using there my friend.
 @Snoop I was 100% right. I said that people were grandfather in. And some of you EXPLODED with immaturity.Â
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Newsflash, I am almost always right here when I make a comment because unlike many, I try to tell the truth and live in a fact based world.Â
@Snoop, Yeah, if you have the money to get one, and you can pass the rigorous background check, and if you don't mind the feds coming in your home to see how you have it stored.
 @lakeview You were partially right ,,, class 3 Federal licensed individuals could possess fully auto machine guns in Washington.
 @lakeview And the 'Assault Weapons Ban' isn't going to ban anything?
 @Snoop And by the way, there is a difference between reducing potential violence in homes with unwanted guns or unsecured guns, and crime on the streets. This nuance is lost on some of you. You are the same people running around talking about banning guns, when nobody is suggesting banning guns.Â
 @Snoop Oh, like when I said people could own machine guns here, and you guys laughed and insulted me like teenagers. And then I was right?Â
 @Scott   Hold on ,,, it takes time to make it work. Check back in say 20 years and you will see how well the buyback worked.
@Snoop Really? There is absolutely no way to prove that a gun buy back that happened 20 years prior had any affect on the crime right. The last time Seattle had a gun buy back it was 20 years ago, gun crime went up for a solid 6 months afterwards. Do you really think there are less guns in the hands of criminals now then there was 20 years ago? Maybe we should make a law that requires the criminals to at least tell us if they have a gun. Oh wait, criminals don't really care about the laws.