On my favorite KOMO Web site today, there is a sad story about a King County worker assaulted, right outside the King County Courthouse in (used-to-be) beautiful Downtown Seattle. This is so disgusting that I am going to copy some of that story for you here. This is what the City of Seattle and County of King have become. Please do follow the link and read the whole story.
In September, Kara was assaulted just outside the King County Courthouse after leaving work to head to the train.
Surveillance video shows a man cross the road, mumbling to himself. He steps in front of Kara, she goes around him, and then he hits her in the back of the head, leaving Kara with a concussion.
Those are the facts of the case. County employee, just walking down the street minding her own business, gets jumped by a street vagrant and injured.
But the worst of it is what happened later, when the good reporters at KOMO News try to find someone in City and County Government to address the issue. Again, from the article:
It’s been nearly two years since we (of KOMO News) first shared concerns from King County employees about the scene outside the courthouse – people drinking and abusing drugs; people in crisis, shaking and screaming.
Plus, county employees and jurors are being assaulted. Many of them no longer feel safe walking in and out of the courthouse.
King County judges have been asking police to ramp up patrols during high-traffic times for county workers and jurors.
“It’s hard to say the needle has moved much,” Judge Sean O’Donnell told KOMO about conditions outside the courthouse.
“Members of the public deserve to feel safe coming to their courthouse,” Judge Jim Rogers added.
Judge Rogers believes some jurors aren’t even showing up because they’re so concerned about safety.
County council members are also asking for more support from the city.
KOMO spent hours outside the 3rd Avenue entrance to the courthouse, only seeing an occasional Seattle police bicycle patrol despite several emergency calls.
“I want them to come here and experience this,” Kara Armatis said about city leaders.
KOMO brought those concerns to Seattle’s City Hall and received very little response.
Seattle City Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez chairs the public safety committee. She ignored KOMO’s request for comment. [Emphasis Mine.]
So it looks to me like the members of the Seattle City Council are walling themselves up in their fancy new headquarters, and positively ignoring the plight of their city residents just outside their doors. Who gets more consideration in the City of Seattle? Taxpayers, or criminals and vagrants? This story answers that question, doesn’t it?
