Mayor Harrell unveils plan to secure Seattle’s green spaces
SEATTLE - Three weeks after multiple people were shot, one fatally, at Seattle's Golden Gardens Park – Mayor Bruce Harrell announced a new plan to better safeguard the city’s green spaces.
If the idea gets the thumbs up from the Seattle Police Officers Guild, park rangers will have a much larger presence.
A man is dead, and three others people were injured in shootout at occurred at Golden Gardens near the dog park in Ballard Thursday. According to preliminary reports, investigators said this all stemmed from a stolen car. (Oct. 19, 2023)
The mayor and city council would like to remove the current geographical limitation which keeps park rangers in downtown parks. This would allow them to serve in all Seattle parks.
FOX 13 spoke to several people today who said it sounds like a good idea.
"It might make me feel safer," Karen said. "Sometimes I'm the only one here."
"That's true," Sakina said. "It's more about being in the water alone and having somebody around and keeping an eye on what's happening."
FOX 13 talked to Sakina and Karen just after their swim in the cold November water.
"I've only had a few occasions where I feel unsafe here, but for the most part I feel safe and comfortable to come to the beach and enjoy it," Karen said.
Sakina has been going to Golden Gardens for the past two and a half years, while Karen has been going for the past 25 years.
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1 person dead, 3 others injured in Ballard shootout
A man is dead, and three others people were injured in shootout at occurred at Golden Gardens near the dog park in Ballard Thursday. According to preliminary reports, investigators said this all stemmed from a stolen car.
Just last month, there was a shooting at this park that killed one and injured several others, but that didn't phase park guests too much.
"The gunfire was a little upsetting, but apart from that, I have never not felt safe here," Kel said.
"Definitely made me feel anxious, but I didn't feel like it was a threat to me personally," Karen said.
Park guests told FOX 13 they saw no problems coming to the park on a regular basis.
"You live in this city where there is a lot of crime and situational awareness is important to have with you all the time," Karen said.
RELATED: 1 person dead, 3 others injured in Ballard shootout
Other park guests said they like the proposal to allow park rangers to serve in all parks across the city.
"I think that's an excellent idea, especially because I was here when there was many shots fired right up the hill at the dog park," Kel said.
While no one knows if more park rangers will curb violence, park guests said it would be nice at the minimum to see more of an authoritative presence.
"Just having the flexibility, it seems like a smart way to go," Kel said.
"Definitely. It'll make people more respectful in the park," Karen said.
Mayor Harrell re-established the park ranger program in August 2022 when he talked about his plans to keep parks safe and clean. In the proposal, he mentioned his goal of increasing the number of park rangers from two to 28. So far, they have hired 12. The goal is to have 28 park rangers on board by the end of the year or early next year.