Latest news with #RobSaka
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Parking adjustments coming to West Seattle's Alki Beach
The Brief The Seattle Department of Transportation plans to adjust parking at Alki Beach to address safety concerns and increased summer demand. Changes include converting angled parking to parallel parking near Don Armeni Park, and a proposal to re-establish daytime parking on Alki Avenue SW. An online survey regarding the proposed parking changes closes on June 22, 2025. WEST SEATTLE - Some changes are coming to parking along West Seattle's Alki Beach, aimed at addressing recent public safety concerns and an increased demand this summer. The adjustments include limiting parking spaces in some areas, and opening up more spots during the day. What's next The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) proposed to re-establish daytime on-street parking on the west side of Alki Avenue Southwest, near Alki Beach Park. Changes could be installed in the summer of 2025. Click to open this PDF in a new window. Additionally, angled parking along Duwamish Head, near Don Armeni Park, will be converted to parallel parking. This change was made to deter reported issues in the area, such as loitering and illegal activities. Existing overnight restrictions will remain in place from 11 pm. to 5 a.m. Timeline The Duwamish Head parking adjustment is expected to be completed by mid-June, according to SDOT. The Alki Avenue SW proposal is still being finalized, with community outreach planned later in the summer. SDOT says it will address questions and take feedback before implementing a design. A short survey on the Alki Avenue SW parking changes is also available online, and closes June 22, 2025. SDOT says these parking adjustments are being made at the request of Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka, aimed at increasing public safety and improving parking availability in the area. The Source Information in this story is from a fact sheet provided by the Seattle Department of Transportation. Ex-Seattle police Chief Adrian Diaz files lawsuit, claims wrongful termination Crews battle Second Creek Fire near Leavenworth, WA 2 injured in separate Seattle shootings Teen, child killed in Lacey, WA mobile home fire Crews investigate explosion at Woodinville, WA hardware store College Inn Pub announces closure after 50 years in Seattle Dave's Hot Chicken to open 4 new locations in Seattle area. Here's where To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter. Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Seattle city councilmember introduces resolution to acknowledge 'failure' of defund the police movement
Seattle councilmember Rob Saka introduced a resolution to completely cut ties with any commitments to defund the police. After the murder of unarmed Minneapolis resident George Floyd in 2020, the slogan and movement to "Defund the Police" swept the country. Yet in the wake of a reported rise in crime in multiple cities across the country, politicians, even in Democratic Party strongholds, have sought to distance themselves from the idea. On Tuesday, Saka spoke with fellow members of Seattle City Council's public safety committee about his recently introduced Resolution 32167, which recognizes work to improve public safety. These measures include appreciation for first responders, consent decree progress, police accountability, a diversified public safety response, and reversing "defund" commitments. The councilmember summarized, "This resolution reverses any prior commitment or pledge by past councils to defund or abolish the police. We know that these statements were routinely cited by departing police personnel as a reason for leaving. We also know that they are very divisive." Defund The Police 'Isn't Dead,' It's Just Taken New Form With Massive Implications: Retired Police Chief Fellow councilmember Maritza Rivera added that she has seen at least one constituent share his wish to see councilmembers "take a stance against the defund rhetoric that we've seen in the past in this city. He's not the only one I know who has requested this." Read On The Fox News App Four councilmembers ended up voting in favor of the bill, with none opposed and one absent, and the resolution will now be forwarded to the larger city council meeting on April 1. A city council press release summarized that the bill "Reiterates support for first responders, acknowledges failure of defund movement and embraces focus on underserved communities." "This Council, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office, has made improving public safety an absolute priority," Saka said in the announcement. "This is finally the time to acknowledge the lessons of the past and pivot decisively toward a better, future-focused public safety model. We are committed to making everyone in our community feel safe and to enhancing our accountability system." Mayor Bruce Harrell was also quoted, noting that rather than defund their police, the city has instead made progress in working to expand the force. "Seattle has made significant progress on reimagining policing since we agreed to the federal consent decree over a decade ago. We have created one of the most robust police accountability systems in the country. We hired more police officers last year than we lost for the first time in years, and applications are soaring," the mayor said. "To help our police officers focus on what they do best, we have diversified our response options by expanding the Fire Department's capabilities and we successfully launched our third public safety department and the CARE Crisis Response Teams," he added. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And CultureOriginal article source: Seattle city councilmember introduces resolution to acknowledge 'failure' of defund the police movement
Fox News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Seattle city councilmember introduces resolution to acknowledge 'failure' of defund the police movement
Seattle councilmember Rob Saka introduced a resolution to completely cut ties with any commitments to defund the police. After the murder of unarmed Minneapolis resident George Floyd in 2020, the slogan and movement to "Defund the Police" swept the country. Yet in the wake of a reported rise in crime in multiple cities across the country, politicians, even in Democratic Party strongholds, have sought to distance themselves from the idea. On Tuesday, Saka spoke with fellow members of Seattle City Council's public safety committee about his recently introduced Resolution 32167, which recognizes work to improve public safety. These measures include appreciation for first responders, consent decree progress, police accountability, a diversified public safety response, and reversing "defund" commitments. The councilmember summarized, "This resolution reverses any prior commitment or pledge by past councils to defund or abolish the police. We know that these statements were routinely cited by departing police personnel as a reason for leaving. We also know that they are very divisive." Fellow councilmember Maritza Rivera added that she has seen at least one constituent share his wish to see councilmembers "take a stance against the defund rhetoric that we've seen in the past in this city. He's not the only one I know who has requested this." Four councilmembers ended up voting in favor of the bill, with none opposed and one absent, and the resolution will now be forwarded to the larger city council meeting on April 1. A city council press release summarized that the bill "Reiterates support for first responders, acknowledges failure of defund movement and embraces focus on underserved communities." "This Council, in collaboration with the Mayor's Office, has made improving public safety an absolute priority," Saka said in the announcement. "This is finally the time to acknowledge the lessons of the past and pivot decisively toward a better, future-focused public safety model. We are committed to making everyone in our community feel safe and to enhancing our accountability system." Mayor Bruce Harrell was also quoted, noting that rather than defund their police, the city has instead made progress in working to expand the force. "Seattle has made significant progress on reimagining policing since we agreed to the federal consent decree over a decade ago. We have created one of the most robust police accountability systems in the country. We hired more police officers last year than we lost for the first time in years, and applications are soaring," the mayor said. "To help our police officers focus on what they do best, we have diversified our response options by expanding the Fire Department's capabilities and we successfully launched our third public safety department and the CARE Crisis Response Teams," he added.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Yahoo
Seattle's public transit safety talks intensify after shooting on Tukwila bus
The Brief The Seattle City Council hosted a roundtable discussion Tuesday to address public safety concerns on King County transit. The meeting comes after the tragic stabbing of a Metro driver, and a shooting on another bus in Tukwila. SEATTLE - Seattle city, county, law enforcement and transit leaders gathered Tuesday to address growing concerns about safety on public transportation hours after a shooting on a Metro bus in Tukwila. "You can't make this stuff up. On the eve of this important regional roundtable, two people were shot," said Seattle City Councilman, Rob Saka, who organized the meeting. The backstory The incident, which left two people injured, including, reportedly, a 15-year-old who was shot three times in the chest, has compounded concerns already mounting after the fatal stabbing of driver Shawn Yim. Greg Woodfill, President of Amalgamated Transit Union 587 voiced frustration over the lack of consequences for disruptive behavior on buses. "Public transit is at a tipping point and at a crossroads," said Woodfill addressing the roundtable. "We need to end the finger pointing and start working together." What they're saying King County Metro's General Manager, Michelle Allison, pointed to improvements since last year, noting that incidents of violence have decreased significantly. "Metro is certainly not immune to safety incidents," she said, but she highlighted that the number of violent incidents has dropped from 243 per million boardings at the height of the pandemic to just 71 per million in December 2024. Allison shared efforts already underway to address safety include a planned increase in the number of transit police officers, from 70 to 170 by the end of 2025, and the installation of larger, stronger partitions for bus operators. Metro police chief Todd Morrell also called for stronger criminal justice interventions. Noting his department's "Operation Safe Transit" initiative, which began in May of last year, has already led to 475 arrests. Morrell emphasized that the initiative targets aggressive behavior, not criminalizing homelessness. In response to these challenges, the city and county are working together to introduce new safety measures. A countywide task force will convene next month to further discuss the issue. Additionally, Metro plans to reinstate fare enforcement by May and improve security with the addition of better partitions, additional security officers and surveillance systems. "We're all tired and fed up, and we want to restore sanity civility and order on our busses and our transit system," said Councilmember Saka. Saka, who is also the chair of the Transportation Committee, says he walked away from Tuesday's meeting energized, and feels the urgency needed to make public transit safe, but it starts with updating officers' policies. "Now we need to adjust and tinker with their duties so that they can actually do their job effectively and efficiently and enforce our existing rules that are in place today," Saka said. When asked about next steps and how this plan will be implemented, Saka said he's dedicated to collaboration. "These are a complex set of challenges, and there's going to be no single magic bullet that helps us bring about the true transit security and safety situation that we need and improves the lives of riders and operators, but it's going to take all of us working together to really make progress, and I'm committed to doing just that," he said. The Source Information for this article comes from original FOX 13 reporting. Politics: Lawmakers propose pay-by-mile charge for WA drivers Food: Starbucks phasing out plastic cups for cold drinks in WA, other states Local: IRS tax refund schedule 2025: What you need to know To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national coverage, plus 24/7 streaming coverage from across the nation.
