Unchecked homeless issue in Seattle needs leadership

Don’t just point fingers at the Seattle Police Department for the spreading homeless issue in the city.

There are areas of the city that are seeing more homeless that isn’t under the city’s jurisdiction, KIRO Radio’s Don O’Neill explained.

Land along freeways, for example, is the responsibility of the Washington State Patrol. The problem with that, however, is that the state agency is understaffed and currently stretched thin because of the Central and Eastern Washington wildfires.

Related: Seattle homicide might be a good argument for homeless camps

And don’t forget about the leaders of the city. The police department has the Department of Justice watching over its shoulder at all times; so police are probably being extra cautious about how they interact on a day-to-day basis. It comes down to people like Mayor Ed Murray and the Seattle City Council to take action, Don said.

“This is squarely on the shoulders of the mayor and council,” he added. “This is a tipping point. You have politicians that have to decide whether or not [people] can live under bridges.”

Some areas of the city that never had a problem are now the center of attention. Take Magnolia Bridge, for example, where a naked homeless man allegedly killed someone with a stick. It’s an area that few people used to be, but now there are tents everywhere, Don said.

It’s not just tents, either. As others have confirmed, Don said anywhere there is industrial parking that people can either park at over night, or that isn’t well-regulated, there are people living in vehicles. There are three large school buses parked in Ballard, for example.

Does the latest killing under the Magnolia Bridge justify concerns over homeless camps then? KIRO Radio’s Ron Upshaw asked. Should they be allowed so close to neighborhoods?

“We’re at a point in our area where we’re trying to ram it down people’s throats,” Ron said.

Crime may increase around areas with homeless camps, but just abolishing them won’t solve anything, Don responded. Instead of fighting them completely, he wishes more organizations would come forward to help out.

“I wish it was being steered,” Don said.