As gun violence in Seattle has come to the forefront, the city council president says conversations are "great" with the interim police chief.
As gun violence in Seattle has come to the forefront of the minds of community members, the president of the city council said conversations are "great" with the interim police chief, who completed his first week in the role.
At Stoup Brewing on Capitol Hill, the community group "Circle the Blocks" gathered people to walk around the neighborhood -- not for their usual stroll to spot damaged sidewalks, roads, parks, or storefronts -- but to honor the hotbed areas of gun violence in recent years.
"Over the last three years, (a shooting) happened 25 times in this small part of the nightlife district," explained Erin Reinhart, setting up four areas for groups to walk to and discuss the various shootings that have taken place near there.
Reinhart said that after watching the deadly shooting at Bite of Seattle unfold on TV on Sunday, July 26, she thought about how a shooting on Capitol Hill had taken place less than 48 hours prior, and wanted to raise more awareness of the trend.
"We've had a lot of gun violence in this neighborhood, and so we have to have extra attention to it," said Seattle City Council President Joy Hollingsworth, while at the event Thursday.
Hollingsworth was joined by Seattle Police Captain James Britt of the East Precinct on Capitol Hill, City Attorney Erika Evans, and Dr. Amy Barden, the head of the CARE program at Circle the Block's event.
Organizers said they invited Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles to the event on Thursday morning, and although he did not attend, they said that since he was appointed, he had already touched base with Circle the Blocks about gun violence prevention -- an area of work he is very familiar with from his time as the Deputy Chief of Administration and Investigations, which oversees the department's Gun Violence Reduction Unit.
KOMO News spoke with Hollingsworth about the state of public safety in Capitol Hill -- and on Sayles, who has now been in his role for one week.
Hollingsworth previously expressed to KOMO News her reservations about Mayor Katie Wilson's decision to ask former Chief of Police Shon Barnes to step down just days after the Bite of Seattle shooting, calling the decision "irresponsible and it's a tad bit reckless."
Hollingsworth said she stands by that quote in regard to the mayor's timing of her decision, but said her focus now is on finding the strongest candidate to lead the department.
"The mayor and I share the same similarities in terms of what we're looking for in a police chief to lead this department, and make sure that we're on the right track," she said. “I'm not sure what that timeline is, but (the council will) be here willing and ready to participate in whatever way that I think is appropriate for the council, and as well on a search committee," she added.
Asked whether she had been briefed about the ongoing search for a new candidate, or any new details on the hunt for the third suspect in the shooting, Hollingsworth said she had not.
"I know that Seattle Police Department and the detectives are working incredibly hard," Hollingsworth said.
More broadly, the councilmember of three years acknowledged the challenges of gang-related violence within the city, not just for its role in the Bite of Seattle shooting, but in Capitol Hill and beyond.
"We've seen young folks be a part of some of these groups as young as 12, 13. That is very concerning, and so as we think about city leaders, what are we going to do?" said Hollingsworth. "One thing that we need to start thinking about is how we're including the families, the communities around some of these young folks, making sure they have resources, they feel supported."
As for Reinhart, she has many thoughts on the approach to helping Capitol Hill with street outreach and violence.
"I think cameras are a very important part of solving the crime," she said. "Right now there is a land of no laws; you're either not apprehended, or if you are apprehended, you're probably not going to be prosecuted. Specifically up in this neighborhood, I think the cameras would help catch things and deter things," she said.
KOMO News is still waiting to hear back from the Seattle Police Department after reaching out to ask whether Interim Chief Sayles had a comment on the gun violence in Capitol Hill, as well as questions related to the shooting investigation, and whether he will consider applying for the permanent position of chief.
