Victor Steinbrueck Park: "I don't think anybody really has the answer to this issue."

[maxsolomon]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/319536_pikecrime13.html

<snip> On a Tuesday morning in Victor Steinbrueck Park, a teacher counts a class of jostling second-graders standing on the grass before visiting neighboring Pike Place Market.

Next to them, two men huddle together and make a drug deal.


The scene is repeated daily at the Western Avenue park that's had an unusual distinction for decades: No other place in Seattle is so popular with both tourists and criminals.

"It's very frustrating," said Sgt. Paul Gracy, whose beat includes Steinbrueck Park. "I don't think anybody really has the answer to this issue." <snip>

back in the 90's an old native american challenged me to a fight for mrs. solomon. "she's good lookin', and that's all that counts!" i agreed, but did not fight him.

my solutions are:
1. remove the public toilet/shooting gallery.
2. position cops on the rooftop parking deck of the champion building & film the day's worth of drug deals, assaults, and public indecency. offer those caught on tape a choice: jail or a bus ticket to portland.

half :sarcasm:

[pscot]

1. Max, are you suggesting

that you gave Mrs.Solomon to an old Indian, rather than fight him? Re the park problem, many years ago in Chicago there was a perennial candidate named Lar Daly (no relation to hizzonor), whose platform consisted of shooting drug dealers on sight. Nobody has ever tried it, but it would probably be effective, though a bit messy.

[Wash. state Desk Jet]

2. The alcohol reliefe check

Back in the eightys if you may recall.
It got so bad that people that live down town-at the time,- the forgotten community -the elderly in particular were afraid to go out into the street.

It was pretty bad.
Drug peddelers were on every single cornor.As well as drunks and pan handelers.


Downtown is different today, much better than the eighties, drug dealers or peddlers are always a problem everywhere. And from a law inforcement stand point- well, they want the suppliers not the peddlers, the peddlers are peddling to support their own habits,-a nickel and a dime the dozzen.
Much less than that and more.Where it is about crack cocain and what they will do to get it.

Indeed, life in the big city.

[Pierzin]

3. I remember those days, Desk Jet!!! bravo t o u!!!

How many times was I offered drugs on the corner of 1st and Pine back in those days??? I could not even count. Downtown is cleaner that it was. It is shameful to see transients harrassing tourists, or anyone else. I don't have a solution.
Something should be done. Downtown has always been a rough and tumble place, and the Times is now running a historical on it. Banning those who are a public nuisance(in the park) is a good place to start.

[maxsolomon]

4. the banned are not competent enough to heed their banishment

they're high on crack, heroin, drunk, or schizophrenic.

the MID rent a cops need to just sit down, en masse, next to the drug dealers, until they feel uncomfortable enough to move on. if that doesn't work, uniformed police. if that doesn't work, police on horseback. a permanent presence in the park seems required at this point, at least temporarily.

i do not understand what prevents the police from filming a day in the park from the champion building & identifying every seller/user or public intoxicant, arresting the dealers, banning the users & drunks, and then providing a patrolling officer with a laminated photo gallery of those banned, updated daily. doesn't the pike place merchant's association care about this?

PS yes, mrs. solomon & the drunken native american are very happy!