“I don’t think neighbors and community members should clean the property – it’s out of control.”
That’s what one neighbor of a homeless encampment had to say about the deterioration of safety near Broadview Thomson K-8 School. Can you blame them after an encampment of 56 people moved into property behind the school?
Meanwhile, a one-man organization called Anything Helps is trying to move people out of the encampment.
The neighbor said: “I don’t think he’s the answer to all this. This problem is way bigger.”
The problem IS way bigger and it requires a broad, regional approach that coordinates resources across jurisdictions, holds people accountable, and prioritizes the safety of all Seattle citizens.
But who is responsible for that?
Mayor Jenny Durkan was on the news recently, calling for the state Department of Transportation to handle the growing number of incidents of homeless individuals throwing rocks onto I-90 traffic.
“We’ve been working with the state department of transportation for over a year, to see if we can get the state to step up to do for its lands with what we’ve been doing for ours.” Mayor Jenny Durkan
“It’s critical we coordinate with local partners that offer shelter and social services to those living homeless. This is not a new process and it’s an important one to follow so that encampments don’t simply shift from one property owner to another.” Sec. of Transportation Roger Millar
Everyone understands that drugs, crime, and rocks thrown from the overpasses are all problems making people feel less safe in Seattle. But who is responsible?
None of our elected leaders are claiming responsibility, so we must hold them accountable.
Steve Wargo, another Seattle neighbor, summed up the problem well: “That’s all we want as normal people. Just to have these departments working together for the betterment of all the people in Seattle, but that doesn’t seem to be happening.”
