A small band of concerned neighbors joined activists from Social Outreach Seattle on a march down Broadway Friday night against what the group says is a rising tide of hate and violent crime on Capitol Hill.
“When the sun goes down it’s lawless down here,” Social Outreach Seattle’s founder Shaun Knittel told media at the march Friday night. “There has been an anti-gay sentiment that has crept into the neighborhood.”
In addition to increased patrols in trouble spots, the city has pumped an additional $400,000 into policing areas of Seattle where crime concerns are growing, including Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, alternative measures such as leaving the lights on in Cal Anderson Park overnight are also being employed.
CHS has covered a small swarm of reported crimes involving hate and homophobia on the Hill this summer:
- Trial set for 3 of 5 charged in May Capitol Hill hate crime beating
- Summit hate beating — 8/4/2013
- Victim reports E Pike gay bash — 7/25/2013
- Investigators looking at another suspicious car fire in Central District — UPDATE: hate crime? — 7/25/2013
- Possible hate beating at 23rd/John — 7/10/2013
- Seattle PrideFest says nobody came to aid as performer robbed on Capitol Hill — 5/9/2013
March on people. I’m sure the thuglets who are committing most of these assaults are listening. >sarcasm<
Hey, such a silly comment. All community organizing which calls the issue into focus is cool. Along with this march are education efforts, increased police patrols, and the wide spread communication to four winds that the spirit of simply less violence is a shared community goal. I applaud these efforts completely. They work.
Good community effort and spreading awareness across the community is the cornerstone of making the area safer. Now if they can just get people to call 911 if they hear screaming or see someone getting robbed…
And maybe get people to stop traipsing around after midnight half-drunk and glued to their cellphones…?
You make it sound like most of the crimes fit that description. I’m not so sure. Just looking at the crimes reported on CHS over the last week:
Crowbar mugging – 8pm, no drinking indicated
Gun + Knife robbery – 11:30pm, no drinking indicated
Biker mugged – 12:45am, no drinking indicated
Guy hit with glass bottle, 4am, victim drunk
18th + Madison mugging, 11:30pm, no drinking indicated
I hear screaming on my street practically every night these days and I never even know when to call 911 anymore. I called earlier this week and then last night there sounded like an even worse fight but I couldn’t see anything and didn’t want to call again, so I didn’t.