Take 21 » Public Safety

City Inside/Out with Brian Callanan: Belltown Blues

channelweb — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:00:48 +0000

Belltown has always been a diverse and popular neighborhood in Seattle, but many residents and businesses are now singing the blues. Multiple gun shots on New Year’s Eve, coupled with a recent police report that 50 people are responsible for 2,700 Belltown arrests, have led to increasing public safety concerns. Merchants who pride themselves on the area’s shopping, restaurants, and nightlife say that Belltown is now a center for crime, filth, and lagging economic development. What is the city and county doing to help Belltown change its image and reduce its problems? Our studio guests include Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, Belltown Business Association President Jim Miller, Belltown business owner Jessica Norton, and Jon Scholes of the Downtown Seattle Association.

Premieres Fri., Feb. 3, 7 p.m.

Watch the shows at www.seattlechannel.org/CityInsideOut

McGinn on Belltown Crime: “50 individuals, 2,500 arrests”

george — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:23:17 +0000

Last night on Ask the Mayor, Mayor Mike McGinn unexpectedly unveiled a new effort to fight persistent crime on Third Avenue in the Belltown neighborhood. In response to a viewer’s question, McGinn revealed that Seattle Police Department Belltown beat officers have identified 50 people in that neighborhood who have been arrested 2,500 times. “Think of the amount of dollars spent processing people through the system without actually resolving the underlying issues,” said McGinn on SEATTLE CHANNEL.

McGinn readily admitted that Third Avenue in Belltown remains a chronic crime area. Says the mayor, “Third Avenue is one of the real problem areas we have in the city.” He announced that plans are already underway to redeploy police officers to Belltown to help stop crime. “We are doing that,” McGinn said. This will not require additional expenditures, McGinn pledged.

The mayor continued, however. “You know it’s not just the police,” he said. “It’s a more complex set of factors.” Then he outlined his new approach. First, the City went to Seattle Police Department Belltown beat officers and asked them to identify the 50 most problematic individuals that they deal with. Then, the City ran an analysis on them. “Between them there have been 2,500 arrests. 50 individuals, 2,500 arrests. So this is not a problem of having sufficient officers down there to arrest people.” Next the City put together a team that includes the Seattle Police Department, the Human Services Department and the Office of Housing. The City also plans to ask Seattle Municipal Court to become involved. “We are going to collect more data on these folks to figure out what is broken,” said McGinn. “And then try to get to solutions.”

McGinn is clearly proud of this new initiative. “I want to give credit to our police department and our police officers for coming up with this new approach because it hasn’t been done before.”

Will it get results? We’ll be sure to ask on future editions of Ask the Mayor. The next show is Wednesday, October 26, 7 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21, http://www.seattlechannel.org/.

Watch this segment right now by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=3011109&start=19:28.

Watch the entire program by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/AskTheMayor/.

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What’s hot in local politics? Watch City Inside/Out

george — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:06:52 +0000

As City Inside/Out closes out our season, we welcome four journalists to give us context on the biggest recent stories coming out of City Hall. We’ll discuss the performance of Mayor McGinn, City Council elections, police accountability and, of course, the ongoing civic saga over the replacement of the Alaska Way Viaduct.

We ask our guests: Will the August referendum on the tunnel plan make any difference to the viaduct’s replacement? What Council seats are in play this fall? How is new Seattle Police Chief John Diaz doing? And we get answers to these questions and more from The Seattle Times’ Editorial Writer Joni Balter, KIRO TV Political Correspondent Essex Porter, Crosscut.com’s Publisher David Brewster and Publicola’s Editor Josh Feit.

Fun! Knowledge! Political Brawls! on City Inside/Out, Friday, June 17, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 or right here on http://www.seattlechannel.org/. Did you see our program about Sound Transit’s light rail? Watch it now by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CityInsideOut/.

Cop Cameras on City Inside/Out

george — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:44:21 +0000

Cop cameras: More and more police departments across the country are mounting recording devices directly on officers to capture their interactions with citizens. After a string of high profile cases involving police use of force, many, including Seattle Police Chief John Diaz, say it is time to use cop cams in Seattle. But others, including the ACLU of Washington, say concerns about privacy and the potential for tampering with the technology should keep cop cams out of the city.

This week, City Inside/Out takes up the debate. We begin by taking a trip across the water to Bainbridge Island and visiting one local police department that has already brought cop cameras onboard. Our studio guests are Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell, American Civil Liberties Union of Washington Deputy Director Jennifer Shaw, Seattle Police Officers Guild President Rich O’Neill and Seattle Human Rights Commission Chair Roslyn Solomon.

Our cameras are always rolling! City Inside/Out, Friday, April 29, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 or right here on http://www.seattlechannel.org/. Did you see last week’s program about the legal issues surrounding the ballot measures on the deep-bore tunnel? Watch it now by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CityInsideOut/.

What’s Your Question for Mayor McGinn?

george — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:00:05 +0000

Don’t miss your chance to talk to Mayor Mike McGinn! Why is the U.S. Department of Justice investigating the Seattle Police Department over allegations of “excessive force and discriminatory policing?” Will Seattle be voting on initial funding of light rail from West Seattle to Ballard? What’s the latest on the Mayor’s Nightlife Initiative? On Wednesday, April 27, 7:00 p.m. call 206-684-8821 and talk to the mayor. If you can’t call then, call 206-684-8821 anytime (right now for instance!) and have your question recorded for the show. Or email your question by replying to this email or writing to askthemayor@seattle.gov anytime the inspiration strikes you. You can also ask the mayor a question on SEATTLE CHANNEL’s Facebook or TWITTER accounts! Don’t miss your opportunity to raise your questions to the mayor. Also watch past episodes now by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/AskTheMayor/.

Soccer and Spring Gardens on City Stream

george — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:35:44 +0000

On this episode of CityStream, it’s a growing problem that has City leaders concerned: teenage prostitution. Find out what’s being done to get these young girls off the streets — and what you can do to help. Then, people of all ages love to play soccer. But for one local team, it is a lot more than just a fun and active sport. And, just in time for spring, how P-Patches are cropping up around town. Join host Roxeanne Vainuku for these stories and more on an all new CityStream.

Watch it right now http://www.seattlechannel.org/CityStream/.

Teen Sex Trafficking on City Inside/Out

george — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:37:01 +0000

There are between 300 and 500 teen prostitutes in the Seattle area, according to a city-funded 2008 study. In 2007, 82 youth were referred to King County Juvenile Court on prostitution charges—their median age: fifteen years old. Who are these children? How can we help them? Who are the pimps exploiting these kids? What challenges are involved in prosecuting these crimes? This week, City Inside/Out’s C.R.Douglas tackles these questions by interviewing a former teen prostitute, accompanying police on a sting operation and talking with experts.

King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert , YouthCare’s Melinda Giovengo and King County Deputy Prosecutor Sean O’Donnell join us in the studio to explain what government and non-profits are doing to stop this wrongdoing.

Watch City Inside/Out, Friday, April 1, 7:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 or right here on www.seattlechannel.org. Did you see last week’s program about homeless encampments? Watch it now by visiting www.seattlechannel.org/CityInsideOut/.

What’s Your Question for Mayor McGinn?

george — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:34:16 +0000

Don’t miss your chance to talk to Mayor Mike McGinn! Is the mayor involved in the campaign to repeal the City Council’s agreements between Seattle and Washington State on the Alaskan Way Viaduct bored-tunnel project? How is Mayor McGinn’s plan for a homeless encampment in the SODO neighborhood developing? What does the mayor think about the problems in the Seattle Police Department’s “driving-under-the-influence” unit?

Whatever your question is, on Wednesday, March 30, 7:00 p.m., call 206-684-8821 and talk to Mayor McGinn and SEATTLE CHANNEL host C.R. Douglas. If you can’t call then, call 206-684-8821 anytime (right now for instance!) and have your question recorded for the show. Or email your question by replying to this email or writing to askthemayor@seattle.gov anytime the inspiration strikes you. Be a part of Seattle’s civic conversation!

Also watch past episodes now by visiting: http://www.seattlechannel.org/AskTheMayor/

American Podium: Eric Volz’s Gringo Nightmare

george — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:56:23 +0000

On Saturday, September 4, 5:00 p.m., SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21, Eric Volz tells how he was sentenced to a 30-year prison term in Nicaragua for a murder he didn’t commit. In 2004, Volz moved to Nicaragua and launched EP Magazine, a successful, bi-lingual publication focusing on conscious living, cross-cultural understanding and sustainable development. His work came to a halt when he was wrongly convicted for the rape and murder of his former girlfriend, Doris Jiménez. In 2007, when his conviction was overturned by an appeals court, Volz was released from prison after serving more than a year behind bars. Now he has written Gringo Nightmare, a memoir based on his experiences. You can also watch Volz’s talk or other episodes of American Podium by visiting www.seattlechannel.org/americanPodium/.

Watch It Tonight: McGinn at Six Months

Nicole — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 22:36:32 +0000

Friday, June 25, 7 p.m., Cable 21, City Inside/Out with C.R. Douglas checks on the latest news at City Hall with a dynamic line-up of pundits and reporters. Studio guests include The Seattle Times’ Joni Balter, KIRO TV’s Essex Porter, and The Stranger’s Dominic Holden

As summer begins, what are some of the sizzling political issues that will be making headlines? How has Mayor Mike McGinn performed in his first six months in office? Why did the mayor pick interim Police Chief John Diaz as his nominee to the post of top cop? Join host C.R. Douglas as he welcomes journalists The Seattle Times‘ Editorial Page Writer Joni Balter, KIRO TV ‘s Reporter Essex Porter and The Stranger’s News Editor Dominic Holden to the studio. The journalists will also discuss hot topics like crime in Belltown, panhandling, upcoming political campaigns and replacing the viaduct.

Don’t miss this informative and exciting roundtable! Tonight, Friday, June 25, at 7 p.m., to City Inside/Out, SEATTLE CHANNEL, Cable 21 or www.seattlechannel.org. Did you miss our show about the design and dollar challenges facing the proposed tunnel to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct? Watch it right now by visiting http://www.seattlechannel.org/CityInsideOut/.