Update on Public Safety on Aurora Avenue North

From Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore’s newsletter:

Following the shooting on North 101st Street that continued on Linden Avenue North to North 96th Street, I had separate meetings with the Mayor as well as residents at North 96th Street and Linden Avenue North.

I conveyed to the Mayor in clear and strong terms the need for the City’s attention and law enforcement resources, as well as for expansion of gun violence intervention programs to the north end. They let me know Interim Police Chief Rahr has made changes in procedures that allow for more emphasis patrols and traffic enforcement on Aurora.

On Wednesday evening I met with residents at North 96th Street and Linden Avenue North, a block off Aurora and the site of a recent gun battle. Deputy Mayor Burgess, as well as the Mayor’s Director of Public Safety, Natalie Walton-Anderson, also attended. We discussed what happened the evening of the gun battle, and increased sex trafficking in the area, and how it is spilling over into neighborhoods beyond Aurora Avenue. We discussed a multilayered approach, including enhanced law enforcement around sex trafficking and gun violence, as well as environmental design including closing alley access, traffic barriers, and additional lighting.