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After a recent shooting, Seattle parks will have more police officers present as part of a new summer safety strategy that focuses on reducing crimes in public areas.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the strategy on Wednesday, saying that the city will boost patrols at high-traffic areas like parks and boat ramps, as these areas see more visitors during the summer season. High-priority parks include Alki Beach, Golden Gardens, Magnuson, Cal Anderson, and Seward.
The city will also install new gates at these busier parks and lock restrooms overnight to prevent illegal activities at public areas during the night.
In the summer strategy announcement, Harrell cited a recent shooting in the Pioneer Square neighborhood that resulted in the deaths of three people outside of a nightclub.
“The recent violence in Pioneer Square shows that we cannot let our guard down and need to be proactive heading into the warmer months to keep our communities safe,” Harrell said in a news release.
Starting over Memorial Day weekend, parks will open with reduced hours, with the latest park closure at 10:30 p.m. The city will also implement a tiered response system for public parks depending on the rate of safety issues at each location. The news release did not explain what exactly a tiered response looks like.
“We want to create an environment where everyone can enjoy the parks without fear of crime or disorder,” Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes said.
The city tested shorter hours in 2023 after rowdy crowds at Alki Beach and Golden Gardens parks.
Those limited hours – 4 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. – will now be permanent as part of the summer safety strategy.