We, the undersigned residents, taxpayers, and community members, demand immediate, coordinated, and decisive action to address the ongoing and escalating public safety crisis at a vacant public property in South Delridge.

 

This property, located near the 9200 block of 17th Ave SW and associated with a long-standing encampment, has become a site of persistent illegal activity, dangerous conditions, and now life threatening violence. Despite being under the jurisdiction and shared responsibility of the City of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation, King County, and service providers including the Unified Care Team, the situation has been allowed to deteriorate unchecked. At the same time, it is important to acknowledge that many individuals living at this site are themselves in unsafe, unstable, and deeply vulnerable conditions. Allowing people to remain in environments where violence, crime, and disorder are prevalent is not compassionate policy. It is a failure to provide the safety, services, and dignity that all individuals deserve.

 

On April 28, 2026, a man in his early 30s was shot in the back at this encampment and transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition. Police confirmed the shooting occurred within this encampment, prompting a major law enforcement response, perimeter lockdown, and ongoing investigation. Community members have also reported that this site has been a longstanding problem area and repeated safety concerns. This is no longer a theoretical risk. This is an active and escalating public safety failure, not only for surrounding residents, but for those living within the encampment who are often exposed to violence and dangerous conditions themselves.

 

For months, neighbors have consistently and repeatedly reported deeply alarming and dangerous conditions at this location. These reports include strange vehicles coming and going at all hours of the day and night, open and visible drug dealing and drug use occurring in plain sight, suspected sex trafficking, fencing of stolen property, loud music and ongoing disturbances, frequent altercations and fighting, and repeated emergency response activity including police and EMS presence. Residents are witnessing blatant, ongoing criminal activity with no meaningful intervention from SPD or the City. Neighbors have also observed that the same individuals repeatedly return to and reestablish themselves at this location despite prior removals, reinforcing a cycle of unchecked and escalating behavior. While this has been an active encampment site for years, residents consistently report that conditions have deteriorated significantly and that this is by far the worst it has ever been.

 

This situation is made even more urgent and unacceptable by the fact that families live immediately adjacent to this site. Directly across the alley, people live and children regularly play outside, placing them in immediate proximity to open drug use, active drug transactions, violence, and unpredictable behavior. This is not just concerning. It is dangerous and wholly unacceptable. The current conditions are exposing children and families to serious and avoidable harm, while also leaving unhoused individuals in an environment that is equally unsafe and unstable.

 

These are not isolated incidents but a sustained and escalating pattern of unlawful, unsafe, and hazardous behavior that has been allowed to continue without accountability. Neighbors have taken every reasonable step to report and escalate these concerns, including submitting numerous complaints through the Find It, Fix It system, repeatedly calling police, and directly contacting the Unified Care Team. Despite these ongoing and well documented efforts, there has been little to no effective action taken to resolve the situation. This prolonged inaction has directly contributed to the escalation of conditions, culminating in yesterday’s shooting, and has failed both the surrounding community and the individuals living within the encampment.

Equally concerning, following the shooting, there has been no visible or meaningful action taken by the City to secure, close, or barricade the encampment site. The property remains accessible, and the same dangerous conditions persist. Allowing the site to remain open and active immediately after a violent incident of this magnitude demonstrates a troubling lack of urgency and response to an active public safety threat.

This property is not privately abandoned. It is publicly owned and or managed. Responsibility lies across the City of Seattle, Seattle Parks and Recreation, King County, and the Unified Care Team. The continued failure to act decisively, despite repeated warnings, sustained community reporting, and now a confirmed act of gun violence, represents a serious breakdown in accountability, coordination, and the fundamental duty to protect public safety and provide humane, effective solutions for those experiencing homelessness.

 

We call for immediate action without delay, including clearing and securing the property, removing hazardous conditions and ongoing criminal activity, and establishing consistent monitoring and enforcement. This must be paired with coordinated outreach that provides appropriate, accessible, and accountable shelter alternatives, along with meaningful services that support individuals in transitioning to safer and more stable environments. These efforts must be effective, consistent, and measurable, ensuring that individuals are not simply displaced, but genuinely supported. In addition, there must be a clear interagency accountability plan that publicly identifies which entity is responsible for this property, establishes a defined and enforceable management strategy, and provides a transparent timeline with measurable outcomes. Ongoing communication with the surrounding community is essential, including regular updates and transparent reporting on incidents, actions taken, and next steps.

 

A shooting has already occurred, and a life is hanging in the balance. Failure to act now places everyone, including residents, unhoused individuals, and first responders, at continued risk. This situation has moved beyond neglect and now demands urgent intervention, accountability, and leadership.

We call on all responsible agencies to act immediately to restore safety, accountability, and dignity for everyone impacted by this site. Enough is enough. The City needs to act now.