FOLLOWUP: Neighbors strategize after one West Seattle hill draws four non-accidental crashes

(WSB photo – SW Alaska hill west of 45th)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Four crashes in two weeks has led to one resolute neighborhood.

More than 30 people gathered tonight in Ercolini Park on just hours’ notice for an emergency community meeting to talk about the stolen-car crashes at the bottom of the SW Alaska hill west of The Junction, most recently late last night.

The crashes were not accidental, it had finally become clear – when neighbors who’d caught part of the activity on their cameras connected, they realized the cars were unoccupied when they traveled downhill and crashed into trees, a car, a utility pole, and that the “getaway cars” carried one or more people videoing the stunt. As of meeting time, nobody had yet found exactly where on social media this was being shown off, but they were looking.

Standing around a picnic table, where the organizer had brought flyers with a QR code to set up a neighborhood mailing list, residents exchanged information and ideas.

The four crashes had happened on Sunday and Tuesday nights, neighbors noted – might that mean another is being planned for tomorrow night? they wondered. And/or might that be a clue to the culprit(s)?

One attendee said someone she knew was certain they are teenagers. If so, said another attendee identifying himself as a retired police officer, the juvenile-justice system would do nothing to stop them.

That just intensified the discussion of what the neighborhood could do. Someone said that speeding on SW Alaska had long been a concern, but these crashes had increased the “danger level.”

Traffic-calming measures were of interest to many, though they knew city involvement would take years, so some wondered if they could do anything themselves -guerrilla barriers in the street? String crime-scene-type tape across the road? Create a makeshift roundabout with sawhorses? Somehow making the stunt difficult could at least get them to move elsewhere, it was suggested.

Putting pressure on everyone from city officials to police was advocated by more than one. Referring to the saying about “the squeaky wheel gets the grease,” the retired officer suggested, “We can become the squeak.” Creating an email template for contacting Mayor Harrell and City Councilmembers was suggested.

Other types of immediate action were of the most interest. Hire a security guard? Rent trailer-mounted lights that could ruin the video recording? There didn’t seem to be much hope of increased police presence, as some of the attendees said the SPD officers they’d talked to in the crashes’ aftermath appeared uninterested, claiming this happens all over the city.

But when the meeting ended after about 45 minutes, it was clear one thing already had been achieved – neighbors had met and planned to coalesce, which likely will yield benefits even if the string of hill stunts stops at four.

Share This

from West Seattle Blog… https://ift.tt/wUs6aPQ
via IFTTT