District 1: Evergreen Heights Recap
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On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, community members gathered at Evergreen Heights Elementary to discuss public safety issues and community-based solutions. The model of Safe Auburn: Community Conversations is breakout groups, meaning there are small group discussions centered on two main questions:
- What are the most pressing public safety issues in our community today?
- What do community-based solutions look like in partnership with the City?
The City of Auburn and Auburn School District leadership, including Mayor Nancy Backus, Police Chief Mark Caillier, and School Superintendent Alan Spicciati, were there.
In breakout groups for question 1, the following were general themes of concern among the West Hill/District 1 group:
- Mental health
- Social Media
- Youth, gang, & gun violence
- Spillage: people from other communities coming to Auburn
- Younger students having behavioral issues
- Male students of color not receiving enough support
- Several families in crisis (e.g., students not being picked up after school)
- Students resorting to violence as a first response
- Students having a lack of respect for authority across the board
- Lock downs in school; sometimes multiple in the same week
- Graffiti Street racing
- Mailbox break-ins and theft
- Gun laws for youth being too lax, not enough consequences
- Juvenile theft, from homes, vehicles and in schools
- Random acts of violence – shootings & drive by shootings
- Homeless camping in public and public drug use
For question 2, which is more solutions-focused, the diverse crowd talked about:
- Building dorms for students at West Auburn High School
- More general things for kids to do with adults that they trust
- Programs and resources for getting to know your neighbors
- Parent accountability – laws or programs that hold adults accountable for their children’s actions
- More collaboration on area check requests
- More after-school activities for kids and teens
- Being a good witness – calling 911 when a crime is being committed and offering full descriptions of what’s being seen
- More resident ownership and pride in t heir city
- Metal detectors for HS backpacks
- Program officers to speak to students, educate/ panelist
- Parent education resources that share more about local gang culture and how to spot the signs
- More groundswell for political action across the county and state
- Counseling facility for youth
- Schools looking into suing vaping companies adding vape detectors w/ settlement money
- More parks, more spaces for families and youth, summer events and areas to convene
- Affordable recreation i.e. skating, bowling, park programs More emphasis on “village making” – getting to know your neighbor and build trust
Several questions were also asked of city and school leadership during the Q&A portion, centered around juvenile prosecution in King County and a perceived lack of accountability. Some in the community had questions about the South Correctional Entity or SCORE, and how the jail system works in our region.
In contrast, others had deeper questions about how laws are created in our area and where the onus of public safety lies in the region. What are the roles of the different levels of government where law enforcement in concerned.
Thank you, everyone, for coming out to Evergreen!
