Summer emphasis patrols on Alki Beach paused due to city red tape

SEATTLE - Seattle Police say the emphasis patrols planned on Alki beach for the remainder of the summer are now on pause.

Thursday, Seattle Police officers walked the strip at Alki helping park staff close the beach. This officer support was intended to help deal with issues of noise, fires and alcohol use impacting the neighborhood.

Seattle Parks planned to fund three officers to work from 8 -11 p.m. Thursday through Sunday until September 27th.

However, the patrols did not continue Friday.

“Unfortunately, we ran into a roadblock that may ultimately prevent us from continuing the SPD/Parks combined Alki emphasis: I learned yesterday that any movement of funds from one city agency (e.g., Parks) to another (e.g., SPD) requires city council approval,” said Captain Kevin Grossman with Seattle Police.

There is a question now of when and if the patrols will return, and that bothers some people who live in Alki.

“Everybody who lives down here have families, we have children here. This is about the people. It’s about keeping our community safe,” said Rhonda Ayala.

Police say they have directed on-duty officers to patrol Alki when not committed to other 911 calls or demonstrations downtown or on Capitol Hill.