Pinehurst Seattle

The special topic at the NPAC meeting this month was an update on Seattle’s Consent Decree with U.S. Department of Justice. Monisha Harrell, Deputy Monitor, was guest speaker. We’re in our 10th year of being monitored while implementing improvements in SPD policies and procedures after complaints were made to DOJ about excessive use of force.

In 2012 Seattle was deemed to be in compliance and moved into a 2 year sustainment phase, but then fell out of compliance over a SPOG (police union) action that compromised accountability. Current negotiations for the new SPOG contract are being watched closely. And the monitors are very concerned about what defunding the police might mean for Seattle’s ability to stay in compliance with the decree.

The City Attorney’s Office and King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office representatives were asked to explain how some felony charges can be refiled as misdemeanor charges. This is relevant due to some policy stances of the candidates running for City Attorney. See the minutes.

Captan Stampfl talked about catalytic converter thefts and encampments, among other things.

See all the minutes here.

The City of Seattle is seeing an uncharacteristic increase in gun crime and gun violence. And due to this, the Seattle Police Department provides the following suggestions for firearm safety, and for gun violence prevention. This was sent by Crime Prevention Coordinator Jennifer Danner. North Precinct’s CPC position is still vacant, pending background check (there’s a big backlog of checks right now).

Storage

As a firearm owner, is it their responsibility to ensure that guns in their home are always stored where they are inaccessible to children or other unauthorized persons. Never leave a firearm in your vehicle unattended and always store firearms safety in your home. Safe storage is employing precautions and multiple safeguards that provide an additional barrier against unauthorized use. Guidelines for safe storage include: unloaded firearms should be stored in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case, gun locking devices render firearms inoperable, if firearms are disassembled- parts should be securely stored in separate locations, ammunition should be stored in a locked location separate from firearms and thoroughly double check firearms to confirm they are unloaded anytime they are removed from storage. The choice to keep a firearm in your home for sporting purposes, a collection or for self-protection is a serious responsibility. Gun owners must be committed to obtaining the appropriate training and have a clear understanding of safe handling and storage rules to achieve the intended personal safety benefits. SPD provides free firearm cable locks to assist with safe storage! Reach out to Jennifer directly if you are interested in this offer! Contact info is at bottom.

Safe Handling

The next general topic under firearm safety is safe handling. It is often said that there are four cardinal rules of firearm handling. These four rules are: (1) always treat every firearm as though it is loaded, (2) always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, (3) keep your finger outside the trigger guard until ready to shoot, and (4) always be sure of your target and what is in front of it and behind it (when safely shooting at a range). Nearly all firearm accidents in the home can be prevented simply by always handling firearms using these four rules and by making sure that guns are kept unloaded and locked up, with ammunition secured in a separate location.

Record Keeping/Reporting

A few other important things to remember about firearms involve record keeping and immediate reporting. When a firearm is purchased, it is crucial that the new owner records the serial number(s) and keeps these records in a safe place. In the unfortunate situation that your firearm is lost or stolen, it is absolutely imperative that you report this to the police immediately by calling 911! When reporting, be sure to state where the firearm was lost/stolen, when this happened, what type of firearm it is and provide law enforcement with the serial number(s).

What to Do If You – Hear Gunshots or Find an Unattended Firearm

It is important to quickly be able to distinguish gunfire from other less lethal sounds. The faster you can identify the sound, the faster you can respond. If you hear gunshots- stay calm, get to a safe place, immediately call 911 and provide the call-taker with as much information as possible. If you find a firearm- call 911 immediately and inform them you found an unattended firearm, DO NOT TOUCH the firearm and wait with the firearm until police arrive. Please remember to follow all instructions given to you by the call-taker and the responding police officers.

Jennifer’s contact information:

Email address: Jennifer.Danner@seattle.gov         

Desk phone number: (206) 256-6820

Cell phone number: (206) 471-2849

Here are the minutes from the September North Precinct Advisory Council meeting. The guest speaker was the executive director of the criminal justice training center where all state police agencies get basic training before getting further local training.

Crime stat-wise, citywide crime is up 6% year-to-date compared to last year year-to-date, but only up 3% in our precinct. Car theft is down 8%, but there are still many car thefts.

The Q&A part of the meeting revealed great citizen frustration with current crime and disturbing/disruptive behavior in the city. Captain Stampfl explained what SPD can and cannot do, given City Council’s changes to how it functions, the transfer of some functions to social services, and the loss of about 300 officers. He is sympathetic to complaints about the level of crime, frustrated with how things are, and also in agreement that eliminating racism from SPD is important.

His advice for what we can do – 1) vote for city leaders you think will best solve our problems; 2) keep calling 911 even if you are cynical about response, because the reports are put in a database that helps SPD allocate scarce resources; 3) join with your neighbors and create a large voice to tell current city leaders that the current situation is unacceptable. Also, of course, we as individuals can write or call our representatives.

Here are the minutes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_-QxGd5FiCjifi8gI5QhcjevmvwpUMPFz2WILJQ1u4E/edit?usp=sharing