The North Precinct Advisory Council (NPAC) meets the first Wednesday of the month, except July and August. Meetings are at North Seattle Community College. Any member of the community can attend. We have a link to all the minutes on our NPAC page.
Below are the minutes of the June 2013 NPAC meeting.
SPD North Precinct Advisory Council
Expanding Communication between the Police and Community
MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES
June 5, 2013
Recorded by Nancy Rauhauser
The monthly NPAC Meeting began at 7:00 p.m., with Ruedi Risler presiding.
Topics covered:
1. Special Presentation Speaker: Chief Criminal Deputy Mark Larson, King County Prosecutor’s Office
a. KC Prosecutor’s Office has two divisions: civil and criminal.
b. In the criminal division, it handles misdemeanors in unincorporated KC, but the primary focus is on KC felony cases.
c. There are 125 lawyers in the office, and a 24hoursquad for responding to homicides.
d. It handles domestic violence, economic crimes (theft, fraud), drugs, sexually violent predators, juvenile crime and more.
e. In 2012 it handled 8000 felony crimes, 6000 misdemeanors and 2000 juvenile crimes.
f. Since 1990, crime in KC has decreased 46%. Prison population, on the other hand, has gone from 6040 to 18000, of which 70% is violent offences, 18% is property offences and 9% is drug offences.
g. In 20012there were 60,000 people on probation in Washington. In 2013 there were16,000 and the number continues to fall. Focus has switched to most serious offenders.
h. Re: drugs, in the 1990s through 2000s, the push was for prosecuting drug offences.
Theoretically it was a three pronged approach: education, prosecution and rehabilitation, and but in fact the focus was on prosecution and it wasn’t working well.
i. Now other approaches are being used, such as. Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program in Belltown, which lets police take open air drug market offenders (who agree to go) to a place to get social services instead of prosecuting them.
ii. Drug Court, where offenders contract to go through a 2 year program that includes social services.
iii. The recent U District project to offer drug dealers at U Way & NE 47th St a contract promising they will stop selling around there in exchange for not being arrested. If they break the contract they will be arrested for any new offences.
j. Drug addiction and mental illness are large problems in the homeless population.
4. City Attorney’s Office: Jana Jorgensen
a. Marijuana
i. Nick Licata is sponsoring a City Council zoning ordinance regarding growing &processing marijuana for recreational use. It calls for up to 10,000 square foot indoor facilities in industrial zones, located no closer than 1,000 feet from schools, parks and other kids places. For North Precinct, that would be some areas of Ballard, Fremont, Wallingford and North Aurora. If you would like to give input, go to the City Council meeting Wednesday, June 12th. Call City Council office for time and place.
ii. Liquor Control Board is taking applications for growing/processing marijuana.
There is a 20 day period to object to an application. If you would like to be on the mailing list to learn who is applying, contact Jana atjana.jorgensen@seattle.gov.
iii. If you wish to weigh in on marijuana growing facilities (for instance are concerned about power usage or industrial space usage of indoor growing and would prefer it be grown more naturally outdoors) contact Liquor Control Board via Judy Lewis at jhlew@liq.wa.gov.
b. Nickelsville homeless camp is disbanding and there are several proposals for what to do.
Food Lifeline wants to buy the land, but neighbors are objecting, saying that the camp is driving down property values. City Council Housing Committee is discussing this June 12 (but not for a vote).
i. Nick Licata is proposing t allow licensed, managed camps to be set up for up to a year for up to 100 people in a location not within 25 feet of a residential zone. Licensing would not be required if camp was on a religious institution property.
ii. Fund resources to help camp residents find other accommodations.
iii. Move Nickelsville to two properties owned by religious organizations for up to two years for up to 200 people.
iv. Allocate funding for permanent housing.
c. Jana announced that she is moving back to the Domestic Violence Unit. Thank you for your fine work with the North Precinct, Jana! Brendan Brophy will take her place.
5. King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Deputy Prosecutor no report
6. Department of Corrections: Jeff Sargent no report
7. Community Police Team: Dianne Newsom, dianne.newsom@seattle.gov
a. This month’s handout is on proper disposal of unwanted medicine. Attached.
b. The NP picnic is Saturday, July 13. We will send a flyer when it is available.
i. If your organization would like half of a table at the picnic to promote its events, contact Dianne by email before July 4th.
ii. If you would like to donate items for the raffle, contact Dianne. Kids stuff.
