‘We don’t care about topless sunbathing’: Jake and Spike say Denny Blaine Park neighbors want police to crack down on lewd acts

A judge signed an order Friday allowing topless sunbathing at Denny Blaine Park, according to KOMO News. Still, KIRO hosts Jake Skorheim and Spike O’Neill said that’s not what the community is concerned about.

Jake explained on “The Jake and Spike Show” on KIRO Newsradio that Denny Blaine Park for All, a group of neighbors who have been fighting for better police enforcement, believes the ruling doesn’t address the real issues.

“Everybody’s basically saying, ‘We don’t care about topless sunbathing. It’s fine. What we care about is the lewd acts that often come with and are hidden behind the toplessness or the nakedness. So we want to stop that from happening. So how do we stop that from happening if we’re allowing these things to continue, if you’re not willing to enforce these laws?'” Jake said.

Jake questions why police seem more lax on crime at Denny Blaine Park

Spike noted the park has been a popular spot among the LGBTQ+ community for decades, leading Jake to infer that maybe Seattle police are hesitant to enforce the laws because they don’t want to hurt that relationship.

“Do you think that might be one of the reasons why the city has been hesitant to enforce rules and regulations on this park, because they don’t want to be considered unfriendly to a certain community?” Jake asked.

“Absolutely,” Spike responded. “I think that absolutely has to be factored in. There’s a sensitivity that comes with interactions with that community, and sometimes they don’t want to be seen coming down on this group of people.”

But Jake countered, “It doesn’t matter who the group is. If a law is being broken, you have to arrest people for those laws. You can’t have people out there having public sex in these parks.”

Neighbors and nudists want the same outcome for Denny Blaine Park

Jake noted neighbors have said they don’t want people engaging in illicit sexual activity that keeps everyone from enjoying the park, and that the nudists have agreed that they want the lewd behavior to stop.

“I don’t understand why the city doesn’t just crack down, and if you see people doing those things, just arrest them,” Jake said.

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to “The Jake and Spike Show” weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.