The Alki Community Council held a pre-summer safety meeting on Thursday, outlining plans to push back against the “out of control” situation.
SEATTLE — The Alki Community Council held its pre-summer safety meeting on Thursday, less than 48 hours after Seattle police arrested a man for threatening three people with a knife near the beach.
The meeting was previously scheduled, but Wednesday’s incident was just the latest in what former Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr once called an “out of control” situation.
“The culture in the neighborhood has been to welcome people but as we get more and more people, like other parts of Seattle, we’ve had bad actors that have taken control sometimes of intersections, the boat launch and the beach park,” said Charlotte Starck, president of the community council.
Thursday’s meeting included Seattle park rangers and police officers, who outlined their security plan for the summer.
They said rangers and officers are expected to be more visible this year, with rangers acting as a first line of defense to issue warnings and deescalate certain situations without involving police.
The Seattle Police Department also plans to deploy its mobile unit to the area for increased patrol.
Additionally, boulders are being installed at the Dom Armeni boat launch in an attempt to limit reckless driving.
The launch, which is currently open 24 hours, will now close at 10:30 p.m. with entry gates closing at 10 p.m. The new hours go into effect May 23.
This will be the first full summer with speed bumps along Alki Avenue, which many residents and organizations lobbied for.
In recent years, speeding drivers and drag racing has sparked complaints along the beach.
There have also been several incidents and other crime and violence.
Rahr addressed the growing concerns in June 2024.
“We live in a gun culture. Our society celebrates guns,” she said. “Our social fabric has frayed… put that together with guns everywhere and the police department is not going to turn that around. We will do everything we can, but it’s out of control.”
On April 16, Seattle police arrested a man for threatening three people with a knife near Alki Avenue Southwest and 63rd Avenue Southwest.
Police said the 30-year-old suspect approached a 48-year-old woman as she walked her dog before he approached and yelled at two teenage girls.
“We’ve had our share of gun violence and violent crime and bad actors that make the environment not safe. So the work that’s been done is significant,” said Starck.
The group also expressed concerns over the environment and pollution.
