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Neighborhood resource officers at Magnuson Park
Seattle police want to get officers back into the neighborhoods, and they're starting with Magnuson Park.
SEATTLE - Seattle police want to get officers back into the neighborhoods, and they're starting with Magnuson Park.
For years, Seattle police have responded to crime in the area.
Now, they want to proactively prevent it.
The backstory:
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes announced a plan on Tuesday to make officers more accessible with new neighborhood resource officers near Magnuson Park.
"We chose this location because this is the second-largest park in our city, but the only park that actually has housing on the property," he said.
Barnes said three officers are dedicated to a three-mile radius. They'll be seen walking and biking.
Their schedules aren't yet clear, according to the chief.
Officer Nathan Morehouse, who joined the department in 2017 at 53 years old, is one of the new NROs.
"For me, in a lot of ways, this is an adaptation of the ‘beat cop’ way of doing policing where you know everybody in your community," Morehouse said.
Why you should care:
The areas near Magnuson Park and Sand Point Way have been an ongoing problem.
There have been shootings, issues with street racing, and large gatherings with loud music leading to shortened park hours and new gates.
"What I want to do is stop that before it happens," Morehouse told FOX 13 News.
Barnes said a 90-day pilot program last summer reduced crime in the area by double-digits.
No numbers were given, but he said officers recovered a stolen gun in the first week.
The other side:
At least one council member is also on board.
"I've met with residents here at the park from Mercy Housing and Solid Ground and they're grateful for SPD's efforts at the park," Councilmember Maritza Rivera said.
SPD wants to expand this model around the city.
That just requires more officers and that's a work in progress itself.
SPD leaders said the focus now and in the future is community policing. At least one neighbor told us that she is grateful to see the program in the area.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Dan Griffin.