Photo of meth found on a wanted man at Annex Park courtesy Burien Police Department.

The Burien Police Department announced on their Facebook page Thursday (Sept. 4) that they’ve made another arrest at the Annex Park, where homeless people have been encamped for months.

Police say that Wednesday afternoon (Sept. 3), Detective Easterbrook recognized an adult male who was hanging out at the skate park. Easterbrook knew him from previous encounters, checked his name in their computer system, and found that he had a theft warrant with a $15,000 bail amount. Easterbrook and other officers were able to place him into custody.

A small amount of meth was found on the man, as well as some stolen mail.

“Parks are a welcome place for those who obey laws and aren’t wanted fugitives,” police said. “We will not tolerate drugs in our parks. Thanks to all of the officers who have been patrolling the area and addressing community concerns in a lawful and respectful manner.”

The previous arrest at the park was last week, when Officer Philbrick was walking through it like he does most every day. He found an adult female drinking alcohol. She also had a DUI warrant for her arrest and was taken to jail.

“We always strive to find the ‘perfect’ balance between visibility, enforcement, and protecting and respecting everyone’s individual rights,” police added.

“Thanks for your patience and understanding. Thanks Officer Philbrick and Detective Easterbrook for doing a great job!”

Russell Leland, Jr., of Burien, was arraigned Monday morning (Sept. 8) and entered a ‘Not Guilty’ plea to two counts of Murder in the First Degree with Firearm Enhancements for a double homicide at a gas station in Kent on August 20.

Russell, 29, is accused in the shooting deaths of two employees of the gas station, David Christianson and Carlos Gonzalez.

Prosecutors allege that Russell and another man arrived at the busy gas station during the morning commute and started arguments with several customers who were attempting to use the business’s services.

Witnesses said the defendant and his friend were rude and combative toward customers and Shell Station employees before they were told to leave by the victims. After the defendant’s friend started to physically assault one of the victims, Russell allegedly retrieved his gun from his vehicle and shot the two unarmed victims multiple times at close range.

A case setting hearing scheduled for Sept. 22 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center. If convicted as charged, the sentence range is 50 to 63 years in prison.

Read our previous coverage here.

UPDATE: A new report released by LawStreetMedia.com that claims the City of Burien is the third “most dangerous” city in the state of Washington is wrong – the city should actually be ranked 11th, according to Capt. Bryan Howard of the Burien Police Department.

The study is based on data from the FBI’s most recent “Uniform Crime Report” from 2012, and cities are ranked based on the rate of violent crime per 100,000 people.

The report mistakenly listed Burien’s population at 34,310 – when it actually was 47,000 in 2012, according to Howard.

This means the actual Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 people is 368.75, putting B-Town into 11th place, just ahead of Longview. Burien’s most recent Violent Crime Rate – from 2013 – has actually decreased, to 368.52.

Neighboring city rankings were SeaTac at #8, Kent at #10, Des Moines at #17, and Renton at #19. Unincorporated areas like White Center were not included, as this report focused on just cities.

Worst-ranked (#1) Tacoma’s violent crime rate was 796.96, while #5 Seattle’s was 597.58.

These crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery.

According to the website, the “average violent crime rate” for a city of this size (population between 25,000 – 49,999 people) – based on the FBI’s population grouping statistics from the Uniform Crime Report – should be 300.

The state of Washington was ranked 30th “most dangerous” in the entire U.S., with the District of Columbia ranked as #1.

“In the summer of 2013, a group of professionals and students came together in Washington and New York to create a site for students, young lawyers, and everyone who’s interested in law and public policy,” reads LawStreetMedia’s About Page.

Here’s the full, corrected list:

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove – a Burien native – introduced legislation this week calling for a pilot project of wearable body cameras for the King County Sheriff’s Office.

If passed, all KCSO police officers would be required to wear the cameras.

“The data is clear: body cameras are highly effective in both reducing complaints against officers and reducing instances of inappropriate use of force by officers,” Upthegrove said. “I am confident that once fully implemented body cameras will help to build more trust between officers and the communities they are sworn to protect.”

Upthegrove’s legislation also sets up a task force to develop county policies to address a wide variety of concerns including individual privacy and public disclosure issues.

“Body cameras are a great idea but it is extremely important that we also protect the privacy of victims, children and other innocent bystanders. We will work through all of these issues before deputies are wearing cameras on patrol,” Upthegrove added.

Sheriff John Urquhart expressed his support for body cameras:

“Maintaining the trust of the community is my number one priority, and the implementation of body cameras for my deputies will help to ensure that. I look forward to working with Councilmember Upthegrove to responsibly implement this new program.”

The legislation is expected to be referred to the Law, Justice, Health and Human Services committee on Monday, Sept. 22.

Read more about this legislation on the King County Council’s LEGISEARCH system at http://mkcclegisearch.kingcounty.gov and type in 2014-0389.

Click image to see larger version.

Ordinance #606, passed by the Burien City Council on Aug. 18 (read our original coverage here) has been raising quite a stink lately, garnering international media attention for our little city’s controversial new rule.

The ordinance – which passed 6-1, with Lauren Berkowitz the lone “No” vote – permits police to issue trespass warnings to people with “Bodily hygiene or scent that is unreasonably offensive to others” as well as other “disruptive behavior.” Many residents believe this ordinance was created to deal with a homeless population that was gathering at Annex Park, as well as people who frequent the library and city hall building.

However, several media outlets have twisted this nearly month-old story into click-baiting headlines like “The police can now ticket anyone who smells bad” and “The city of Burien, Washington has passed a new law that makes having an offensive body odour illegal in public parks, library, city hall” and “Don’t forget to put your deodorant on before you come into the City or else…”

Here’s KIRO-TV’s report, in which the American Civil Liberties Union says it believes the ordinance is unconstitutional because it appears to single out homeless people:

“Rules regarding odor and hygiene are not new, in fact KCLS (the King County Library System) and other public agencies also employ similar rules and have done so for some time,” the city said in a statement (another explanatory PDF is here) issued due to media attention. “If the scent is disrupting the use of the library, staff approaches the patron, explains the problem and ask them to leave the library, while encouraging them to visit the library as soon as the problem is corrected. Staff treats all hygiene and scent issues equitably, keeping in mind that strong perfume and cologne can be as offensive and even more impactful on people with allergies as offensive body hygiene can be to others.”

The city added:

“Burien’s policies must also be consistent with constitutional rights and protections (speech, assembly). The ordinance explicitly recognizes that members of the public have legitimate interests and rights regarding the use and enjoyment of City and other publicly owned property. An essential and indispensable feature of the ordinance is its guaranteed right of appeal.”

Here are some recent Tweets about the subject:

Dear Burien, HAVE YOU SMELLED YOU LATELY? Try getting some sewage pipes from THIS century, then worry about your citizens.

— just another mo (@JustAnotherMo) September 17, 2014

City leaders ban body odor in small Wash. town: http://t.co/ZVgf37Wny6 — KGW News (@KGWNews) September 17, 2014

The city of Burien is raising a stink about smelly people. The police can now ticket anyone who smells bad. More 5/6 tonight @KIRO7Seattle

— DeborahHorne (@DeborahKIRO7) September 15, 2014

Burien, WA: Strange new law passes. Don’t forget to put your deodorant on before you come into the City or else…http://t.co/XaegwiieRl — The NW Fire Blog (@nwfireblog) September 17, 2014

The city of Burien, Washington has passed a new law that makes having an offensive body odour illegal in public parks, library, city hall.

— indie88news (@indie88news) September 17, 2014

article by: JOSH COLE In Burien, Washington local jerk offs have made a new law that gives police authority to… http://t.co/ikitAqfKGN — Chris Jeffries (@chrisjeffries) September 17, 2014

Burien, WA has passed an ordinance banning stinky people from public places. #boostinkypeople

— Josh Wetzel (@JWetzel4) September 17, 2014

Ordinance allows Burien PD to ban smelly people from buildings http://t.co/imz7vyy70g Appears to target the #Homeless #WarOnThePoor — Teresa (@tcaLdarez) September 17, 2014

We’re wondering what YOU, the residents of Burien, think of this ordinance? Please take our Poll below:

The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that at least two masked, unknown suspects forced their way into a Burien residence on Military Road South near 118th Street, and demanded valuables from the occupant early Monday morning (Sept. 22).

One of the males struck the occupant with the butt of a long gun.

“We don’t have descriptions of the suspects as their faces were covered,” Sgt. DB Gates told The B-Town Blog.

The victim was treated at the scene by aid, but didn’t require any further treatment.

The case has been forwarded to the Major Crimes Unit and assigned to a detective for follow-up.

“At this time we don’t believe the residence was randomly selected, but was targeted,” Gates added.

On Wednesday (Sept. 24), the City of Burien released an agenda, along with supporting documents, for Saturday’s ‘Economic Dialog,’ which will run from 8 a.m. – Noon this Saturday, Sept. 27 at the Burien Community Center.

This is an event “envisioned as a group ‘ideation’ session centered on actions and strategies that residents, businesses and City government itself can take to advance the economic vitality of the City,” according to an announcement.

Martha Bean, a seasoned event facilitator from Seattle, will be hosting the event.

All Burien residents are welcome and encouraged to listen, learn and share ideas about how we can improve the prosperity and livelihoods of City residents.

Here’s what was sent out:

Hi There,

Thank you for registering for Burien’s first ever community Economic Development Dialog! Below is some important information about the event.

Event Arrival
The doors will open at 8:00 am. However, the event program will start promptly at 8:30 am. We invite you to arrive at 8:00 am to enjoy refreshments, confirm your registration and to find your seat.

Event Agenda
The agenda is attached to this email and can also be found at burienwa.gov/economicdevelopmentdialog.

Draft Economic Development Goals and Actions and other Pre Meeting Materials
A large portion of the event will be focused on community feedback regarding the City Council’s draft Economic Development Goals and Actions. We strongly encourage you to review the Goals and Actions prior to the event. The draft document can be found at burienwa.gov/economicdevelopmentdialog.

For those seeking additional information about economic development and data specific to Burien, the City’s Economic Development Dialog webpage has a set of resources. These include a list of topic papers describing (1) what economic development is, (2) the role of business recruitment and retention in economic development, (3) the link between economic developments and arts and culture and (4) the role of marketing and branding in economic development. We encourage you to spend some time reviewing these materials prior to the event. They can be found at burienwa.gov/economicdevelopmentdialog.

We look forward to seeing you Saturday morning. Should you have any questions, please contact Dan Trimble at dant@burienwa.gov.

Sincerely,
City Staff

Spanish and Vietnamese interpreters will be present at the meeting to assist those community members speaking English as second language.

The event will take place at the Burien Community Center, located at 14700 6th Ave SW.

To RSVP, click here: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=fpyfwadab&oeidk=a07e9r37d17932a828b

For more information, please visit http://burienwa.gov/index.aspx?nid=1040.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is a Letter to the Editor, written by a Reader. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The B-Town Blog nor its staff:]

Outsourcing our Police should come with some conditions:

I heard screams from outside my window coming from Eagle Landing Park. I ran out to the fence to see two young 20-year old women very upset- one of them just got their phone stolen by a young group of kids- they sprinted up the Eagle Landing Path which is quite a hike. I knew I could beat them to the parking lot if I drove up fast.

I quickly drove up to the parking lot and blocked the entrance and exit. The thieves arrived but none of them would admit they took the young women’s phone. They wanted me to move my car so they could drive off but I instructed them to wait for the police to arrive. I then called the police. What a joke. It was a ten minute conversation, questioning…where is Eagle Landing? Did you say Burien?, What street is it?, I might as well have been outsourced to India. My 911 phone call to operator number 47 was a total waste of time. Even the thief said he did not wish to wait the 20 minutes it would take for the police to arrive.

I moved from Normandy Park. Now if I had made the same call to the Normandy Park Police I would have had ten squad cars there in 2 minutes. Yes they are expensive but so is outsourcing. And what amount of savings is worth extremely slow service from folks that do not know the area? How can we get better service?

I think we should require some of the Burien Police to be from the area and perhaps the call center should ring to someone that knows a little about Burien. We can save money by outsourcing but we can also require some conditions to that outsourcing. This is not a new problem and can be fixed.

Toyota made a mistake when it shifted from controlling its outsourcing by embedding some of its employees in each company they out sourced to. Embedding employees in those outsourced companies ensures quality and service. They switched from focusing on quality to focusing on overtaking GM as the largest car maker. In that shift they decided they could outsource without putting some of their employees in the company they were outsourcing to. Guess what happened? The quality went down the drain and the end result is they lost the title of the largest car company and suffered the largest recalls in car manufacturing history.

What is my message? Burien can out source to King County but in that process, if we still want reasonable service and protection we should lay down some simple rules like making sure the officers are from Burien. Otherwise, thieves are going to get away with all kinds of crimes in our neighborhood.

About 30,minutes later the Police did arrive. The whole operation was a waste of time with no results but disappointment and another sad story for those visiting Eagle Landing Park. Are we really getting what we paid for?

– John L. White

[Have an opinion or concern you'd like to share with our ~80,000+ monthly Readers? Please send us your Letter to the Editor via email. Include your full name, please remain civil and, pending our review, we'll most likely publish it.]

According to a post on their Facebook page, Monday morning (Oct. 6) at 3 a.m., Burien Police Officer Davis saw a reckless driver going 80 MPH in a 35 MPH zone.

“The dangerous driver also ran through a red light at S. 128th and 1st Ave South, nearly causing an accident,” police said. “The officer turned his emergency lights on to pull the driver over and the driver took off at an even higher rate of speed. He continued to run traffic lights and stop signs, and even turned his headlights off in an attempt to get away from the officer.”

Burien P.D. adds:

I’ve written about pursuits before and how dangerous they are. They endanger other motorists, officers, and the offenders. We always have to balance the need for apprehension against the crime the suspect is wanted for. In this case, the officer’s pursuit was terminated because things were so dangerous. Fortunately, the officer found the car abandoned a short time later and heard someone crashing through some bushes nearby.

Police set up a perimeter and called for K9 to help with the search. Before our eager K9 team could begin the search, the suspect ran across a street right in front of a perimeter officer. That officer chased the suspect down and apprehended him. The suspect had the car keys to the car he had abandoned in his pocket and admitted to eluding Officer Davis. He also had a felony amount of marijuana (75 grams) and some heroin with him in his backpack along with a ski mask, flashlight, knife, ammunition, and gloves. We doubt he was carrying the “10 essentials” for a hiking trip and suspect he was looking to commit crimes against our awesome Burien community. On top of all that, he had a felony warrant for burglary!

Great job to Officer Davis and all the other officers who helped nabbed this bad guy!

The Burien Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in finding this car prowl suspect, captured on Sept. 26 by a surveillance camera at the Highline Club:

Here’s an animated gif of the sequence we created:

“These photos are of a car prowling suspect who was bold (aka stupid) enough to steal while under the watchful eye of a surveillance camera,” police said. “Help us make these photos go viral and identify the suspect.”

Adds Carrie Rasmussen:

“This guy picked the wrong person though. My husband pulled up at Highline Club Friday evening and shortly after exiting his vehicle, this car and this guy pulled up and somehow accessed his car, stealing his wallet which was in the middle console. Thankfully the Highline Club has video surveillance so in the event you feel compelled to let the community know to be on the look out for this d-bag and/or if anyone recognizes the car/perp the case number is 14-258186.

My husband feels like this guy MUST have been casing him and somehow watched what he was doing in order to quickly access the car.

BTW…it’s believed that this was a professional who may have been using a “fob jamming” system.”

Anyone with a tip should call Burien Police detectives at (206) 477-2220 and reference Case #14-258186.

“If you help solve this case, lunch is on me!” said Capt. Bryan Howard.

Tyrone Bandy

The King County Executive’s Office announced Tuesday (Oct. 7) that they will be conducting an inquest into the fatal shooting of Tyrone Bandy, 45, at his Burien home on Aug. 10.

As we previously reported, deputies responded to Bandy’s house in the 1200 block of SW 160th Street around 7 p.m. that night after his live-in girlfriend called 911 to report that he had assaulted her.

Police believed they had probable cause to arrest him, but Bandy refused and barricaded himself inside his home.

Hostage negotiators were called in, as was a SWAT team. Bandy, who police say was intoxicated at the time, told police he would shoot them if they tried to enter his house. Later in the evening, Bandy began firing from the front of the house toward the street. Police returned fire in the second round of gunshots, fatally wounding Bandy, who died after being taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The King County Prosecutor’s office recommended the inquest after reviewing materials from the King County Sheriff’s office, which conducted the investigation.

Inquests are fact-finding hearings conducted before a six-member jury. Under a standing Executive Order, inquests are convened to determine the causes and circumstances of any death involving a member of any law enforcement agency within King County while in the performance of his or her duties.

Inquests provide transparency into law enforcement actions so the public may have all the facts established in a court of law. The ordering of an inquest should carry no other implication. Inquest jurors answer a series of interrogatories to determine the significant factual issues involved in the case, and it is not their purpose to determine whether any person or agency is civilly or criminally liable.

The order signed by the Executive requests King County District Court Presiding Judge Corinna Harn to assign a judge to set a date and conduct the inquest.

The ordering of inquests is a function vested in the county executive under the King County Code.

by Jack Mayne

Because it has become an “embarrassment” and a “laughing stock,” the Burien City Council will soon reconsider the so-called “trespass” ordinance passed by the Council on Aug. 18 (read our extensive previous coverage here).

Towards the end of the Oct. 6 Council session, Councilmember Lauren Berkowitz asked to have put on an early agenda the repeal of Ordinance 606, the so-called “trespass” or “body odor” law that allows police to order people to not be in certain public areas for various amounts of time because of exhibiting certain behaviors.

Also on Monday (Oct. 6), the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington State had written to all members recommending repeal.

“We believe … (the law) is both counterproductive as a matter of policy and unconstitutional, and we urge you to repeal it.”

At that night’s Council meeting, Berkowitz said she had recently attended a local conference on the criminalization of homelessness.

“I found it very informative, I was disappointed that nobody else was able to make it,” said Berkowitz, referencing other Burien Councilmembers. “It was quite embarrassing to see that Burien’s new ordinance was the centerpiece and literally the laughing stock of the conference.”

Councilmember Nancy Tosta said she listened to the conference that is available online, and “Burien was a bit of a laughing stock in the discussion, which was hard to hear.”

Three other Council members agreed to a “reconsideration” of the ordinance, not repeal of the ordinance. The matter will come up in a future session.

Parking and Impoundment
The Council considered changes to the city’s parking and vehicle impoundment regulations. The changes would put regulations now in state law into the city code so they could be better enforced at the local level.

This makes it easier for people to understand what they are being fined for, said City Attorney Craig Knutson.

“The net change is not really much of a change,” Knutson told Councilmembers.

Burien citizen Ed Dacy told the Council at the outset of its consideration that he would prefer that vehicle impoundments for vehicles driven by those arrested for drunk driving should be discretionary by police, not required.

“This could be a major impact on people of low income, especially when they are not convicted – they can be detained and not convicted but they still have the impound fees,” Dacy told the Council.

Knutson said police like to have discretion about whether or not to impound a vehicle, but state law requires impounding of vehicles in DUI situations.

Councilmember Berkowitz asked to delete the section that allows vehicle impounds of people who have not paid outstanding citations.

“Because they are poor to begin with and those tickets can accrue interest, they accrue more penalties, they keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger,” Berkowitz said. “If they weren’t able to pay that ticket in the first place, now you really can’t pay it.

“What it does is it keeps who are of lower income from being able to drive to work so that it actually impoverishes them further and the penalty ultimately allows criminal charges and being punished by being sent to jail.

“I don’t think that is something our city should be supporting.”

Knutson said removing the penalty would be in conflict with state law and the matter could be addressed in a later meeting with police officials. Police have told him the matter is discretionary with individual violators – not everyone with outstanding tickets has a vehicle impounded.

Berkowitz said discretion is fine, but she wants to know “what this discretion has allowed, who is getting the discretion and who is not?”

Knutson told her he did not know if that data was available, but he would check.

Councilmember Gerald Robison said he agreed with Berkowitz that the crime was an “economic crime.”

He then wondered why it should be illegal to park in the wrong direction on narrow, quiet side streets, adding he understood why it was illegal on busy arterials.

“We are told it isn’t going to be enforced much,” he said. “I don’t see why we have an extra law that can be enforced against individuals just to give the officer another tool to be used against somebody. I haven’t heard anything that there is actually a safety reason … ”

Perennial commenter Goodspaceguy said people don’t like to get parking tickets and it makes Burien a “hostile place.” Instead of giving parking tickets, the city should build additional parking space.

The matter will be up for final approval at next Council meeting slated for Monday, Oct. 13.

Mitigating disasters
The Council took up approval of local changes in the King County Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan that the Council must approve periodically. The participation of the city opens the way for potential federal money in case of a local natural disaster, but there is no direct cost to the city, said Nhan Nguyen, Management Analyst in the city manager’s office.

“Things in the plan will help us be prepared in event of an emergency,” said City Manager Kamuron Gurol.

Councilmember Robison wanted to know if the city has emergency power generators for various city facilities. Gurol said there was a small generator on the roof of the city hall, but none at other city facilities. Robinson suggested generators be added to the city capital facilities budget.

Rental property theft
The Council was asked to pass an ordinance adding state law on theft of rental property to the city’s criminal code.

City Attorney Knutson said the city prosecutor ask for the change because she was unable to prosecute a case because the city had no such laws, but changing the state law version to make the crime punishable as a gross misdemeanor. State law allows the matter to also be charged as a felony, but cities have no power to have or enforce felony statutes.

The measure was placed on the consent agenda for final passage.

Legislative Goals
The city annually adopts a legislative agenda to guide its lobbying efforts. The Council was given a list by city staff showing its proposed focus before the next session of the Washington Legislature.

The city’s main focus “continues to be transportation funding. This includes $10.3 million construction funding for the new eastbound off ramp from State Highway 518 to Des Moines Memorial Boulevard, ongoing funding for street project needs.”

Other goals proposed for consideration were support for reinstating sharing local revenues from the liquor profits and taxes, sharing recreational marijuana revenues and the state’s Public Works Assistance Account. Also the staff suggests support for new revenues sources.

Gurol said after the Council considers and adopts priorities, his staff will set up meetings with the six state legislators that represent Burien in the 33rd and 34th districts.

The Burien Police Department reported that they recently arrested a man suspected of stealing 154 keys from a local car dealer.

Here’s more from their Facebook post:

We’ve had an increase in our commercial burglaries in downtown Burien the last two months. As a result, our nightshift officers have been doing lots of focused patrols of our businesses.

Very early on Friday morning, Officer Hennessy contacted a man sitting in the parking lot of a car dealership. While he and Officer Hennessy were chatting it up, the officer noticed a large amount of keys laying on the ground next to the man. It turns out the man (okay I can now call him a suspect) had just entered the dealership and stole 154 car keys from the office. The suspect confessed to entering the business and stealing the keys, and was promptly taken to jail for his crime.

Way to go Officer Hennessy! And thanks to the other officers who have been patrolling Burien businesses late at night and early in the morning.

Detectives with the King County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit are looking for any information on an unidentified female who may have been the victim of a homicide sometime since March of this year.

Detectives received information they believe may be credible that a female had been killed at a house in Burien and buried on the property. The female is described as being a white female, or possibly part Native American. She is said to be in her 30’s, and of average build. Her hair was dark brown, but had possibly been dyed blond. Her name may be “Shelly” and she may also go by the name of “Marshmallow”. It’s believed she lived a high risk and transient lifestyle.

The abandoned residence in the 12600 block of 14th Ave South where the homicide may have occurred was searched by Major Crimes detectives on Wednesday and the yard was searched on Friday. No human remains were located.

If anyone has information on the identity of the above described female they are urged to call the King County Sheriff’s Office 24/7 at (206) 296.3311.

Speakers at Wednesday’s news conference included, L-R: King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, King County Senior DPA Val Richey, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, and the co-founder of Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS) and prostitution survivor Noel Gomez. At far right are Peter Qualliotine, OPS co-founder, and Alisa Bernard, prostitution survivor and OPS staff member, who also spoke at yesterday’s news conference on stopping sexual exploitation.

Law enforcement and community leaders from across King County have joined together to announce a major initiative to reduce the demand for prostitution where the majority of sex buying now takes place – online.

“Prostitution is a harmful and violent practice, and has exploded on the Internet — going from the street corner to the corner office,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg.  “In King County, each day an estimated 27,000 men are actively soliciting sex online at one of over 100 websites.  We need to take action and we need a new approach.”

Historically law enforcement has focused on arresting prostituted people. This approach has been unsuccessful at reducing exploitation and doesn’t address the demand that drives sex trafficking. The “Buyer Beware” initiative is a partnership with eight different police departments and city attorney’s offices across King County who are shifting their emphasis to go after sex buyers. The initiative is led by the Organization for Prostitution Survivors and the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Prostitution is not a victimless crime. The typical age of entry into prostitution is between 13 to 15 years old and 85% have histories of childhood sexual and physical abuse. As adults in prostitution, over 80% experience physical and sexual assaults, homelessness, and PTSD. Eighty-eight percent report wanting to leave prostitution if they had an alternative. “My recent study found there were 300 – 500 prostituted adolescents in the Seattle area,” reported Dr. Debra Boyer.

Satterberg added:

“Our message for buyers is simple: We are working together to hold you accountable for the harms of prostitution.”

Participating community organizations include: The Organization for Prostitution Survivors, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Stolen Youth, and Seattle Against Slavery.

Participating law enforcement agencies include: King County Sheriff’s Office, Seattle Police Department, Des Moines Police Department, Kent Police Department, Federal Way Police Department, Bellevue Police Department, and Renton Police Department.

For more information, click here

The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that shortly after 3 a.m. Friday morning (Oct. 17), they received a 9-1-1 call about a bloodied stabbing victim in the 10800 block of 1st Ave SW in White Center.

Police say that an uninvolved citizen was reporting a bloodied male had shown up at her door looking for assistance. He had been stabbed, apparently as a result of an argument with another male that he was acquainted with. The victim was found to have life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene by medics and then transported to the hospital.

The suspect is still at large, and police say that he is driving a blue 1996 Ford Probe with a red bumper and a WA license plate of APA 0835.

“At this time it appears both the victim and suspect live at the address nearby where the stabbing happened so this is not a random stabbing,” Sgt. DB Gates told The White Center Blog. “They were arguing before the stabbing happened, and the argument was possibly over how or where one of them had parked a car.”

Major Crimes detectives have responded and will be processing the scene as well as working to locate the suspect.

“If anyone sees the above listed car we ask them to call 9-1-1,” Gates added.

Police do not have any further information on the status of the victim.

Photo showing bullet hole in the window of Burien Tattoo courtesy Roger Arnold.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that two males received non life-threatening injuries when an unknown suspect or suspects fired several rounds at the victims early Sunday morning, Oct. 19.

Both were taken to the hospital.

One officer was in the area and heard the gunfire, and was on scene immediately.

“At least one of the adult males who were shot had been inside a nearby pub prior to the shooting but it’s unknown what precipitated the shooting or if it is even related to the pub,” Sgt. DB Gates told The B-Town Blog.

The case has been sent to detectives for follow up.

The shooting happened in the 400 block of SW 152 Street Sunday morning around 1:30 a.m.

“Two doors down, a 9mm bullet went through the front of our building, through the plate glass window, through the back wall, and lodged in the women’s bathroom door,” said Steve Lemons, “and just 20 minutes earlier there was a young child sitting at a light table there, and the bullet would’ve probably killed the child, or at least grazed the child.”

“People need to know what’s going on in downtown Burien,” he added.

Capt. Bryan Howard of the Burien Police Department posted this to their Facebook page on Monday (Oct. 20):

“Any violence is inexcusable and we will be working on this investigation as well as taking preventive steps to ensure everyone’s safety when visiting our city.

This will include assigning resources to work later hours so we can provide additional visibility and patrols downtown.”

The Burien Police Department announced on its Facebook page on Wednesday (Oct. 22) that, due to last Sunday morning’s shooting on SW 152nd Street near Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub (we were first to report it here), the bar will be making a “complete format change on Saturday nights.”

The pub, which has recently been the cause of numerous complaints, will close early this Saturday night, then, starting next weekend, “everyone is invited to come enjoy a new and improved Mick Kelly’s!”

The usual Saturday night DJ will be cut, according to an employee we spoke with over the phone. What other changes will be made is unknown, but stay tuned to the blog for more information…

Here’s the full announcement:

Joint Announcement from Burien PD and Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub:

Burien PD and the owner of Mick Kelly’s Irish Pub have been working closely to ensure its patrons and neighbors safety for many weeks. No one wants Burien residents to be affected by raucous or dangerous behavior. Mick Kelly’s is pleased to announce a complete format change on Saturday nights. It’s Mick Kelly’s desire to cater to area residents who wish to enjoy a good meal, beverage, and company in their own neighborhood.

To facilitate this format change, we will be closing early on Saturday night this weekend. Next weekend, everyone is invited to come enjoy a new and improved Mick Kelly’s!

Burien PD is committed to ensuring the safety of patrons and residents and will be working closely with the owner of Mick Kelly’s to support their efforts. We all agree a zero tolerance approach is needed for anyone choosing to engage in inappropriate or illegal activity either inside or outside of any drinking establishment. Over-service, minors in bars, excessive noise, and DUI will not be tolerated. We are very pleased to work with Mick Kelly’s on these issues, and their willingness to be the first establishment to work so closely with us towards these goals. Burien PD has assigned resources to patrol downtown bars and will be enforcing appropriate state and city laws.

The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that a man and woman were shot at an apartment in the 1200 blk of SW 124th Street (near Ambaum Blvd. SW) in Burien around 4:45 a.m. Thursday morning (Oct. 23), and that the suspect – who is known to the victims – is on the loose.

“The motive for the shooting is unknown and the two victims were taken to local hospitals and are expected to survive,” Sgt. DB Gates told The B-Town Blog.

The suspect, who police said was a roommate who is known by the victims, fled the scene in a car.

Major Crimes detectives will be following up in hopes of getting charges filed against the adult male suspect.

As we learn more, we’ll update this post.

Here are some relevant Tweets:

2 adults shot in Burien, is domestic related. No life-threatening injuries to either victim.

— KingcosoPIO (@kingcosoPIO) October 23, 2014

Suspect fled the scene he is known to the victims. Unknown what precipitated the shooting.

— KingcosoPIO (@kingcosoPIO) October 23, 2014

Rushed to Emergency Room #liveonkomo learns man and woman shot in #burien apartment- shooter likely on the run pic.twitter.com/qSQ1omNA4x

— Denise Whitaker (@deniseonKOMO) October 23, 2014

Shooting in #Burien, 2 taken to hospital with non life-threating injuries. Police looking for suspect #liveonkomo. pic.twitter.com/YhNi6gthcy

— Craig Newcomb (@KOMOCraig) October 23, 2014

UPDATE: 2 Burien shooting victims expected to survive. No arrests have been made yet. #king5 @K5Unit1 @KingCoSheriff pic.twitter.com/cit4TlMIXN

— Michael Konopasek (@MikeKonopasek) October 23, 2014

#Q13FOX Shooting In Burien Appears To Be A Domestic Disturbance. Shooter On The Loose! @kellymoconnell Reports Live pic.twitter.com/VsAzeR77hE

— DJack The Photog (@DJackQ13FOX) October 23, 2014

Burien resident John White shared this story about the theft of his boat Saturday night:

Forest Ledge Boat Stolen Again-A Life or Death Story

It was just after 5:00 pm last night. As we were about to order dinner at Grazie’s Italian Restaurant and Café located near South Center Mall, I received a text from my neighbor to the south, Joel Millar that said “Hey John, not sure but I think there is a guy out there in your boat” …….I sent a quick text back informing Joel that Shelli and I were having dinner and would be home in 45-minutes.

As I sat at dinner I started thinking……who would go out in a 12-foot boat in the middle of a wind storm at near sunset.

Shelli and I have explored the waters with that boat on a smooth day but we would never take it out even in a 5-mile an hour wind. The wind was blowing well over ten miles an hour.

I then started texting to friends that might be able to go down to the Eagle Landing Park beach, thinking more for the thieves’ safety than anything else. I sent a text first to Ingrid, my neighbor to the north. Then I sent a text to my son David, then to my son Joshua, and then to my friend Irma. I also sent a text to David Templeton.

My son David was the first to respond and said he would head over right away. Meanwhile Joel sent me another text saying “He’s drifting out in the bay. he was rowing with a shovel but dropped it. I’ll call the cops”. Then another text saying “He’s way out there just getting blown around. Drifting with the wind. Called the cops. They said they’re sending a cop boat”.

I quickly pulled up the tide charts on my iPhone and could see the tide was going out. As I noted to Shelli the tide was going out she became increasingly worried for the guy.

Shelli and I quickly finished dinner, skipped the dessert, which is hard to do when dining at Grazie’s, and darted back to Forest Ledge. Meanwhile Irma called, saying she drove to Forest Ledge and then walked down to the Eagle Landing Beach but could not see anyone in a boat. The wind was blowing hard so I was sure Irma experienced a fun walk down those Eagle Landing stairs in the dark, in the cold, in the wind. Got to give her credit.

Shelli and I arrived. Irma was already in her car ready to depart, having seen nothing. It was about 8:15, dark, and the wind had increased. I had heard on the radio the wind was going to increase through the night. Shelli and I walked down to the beach but we could not see anything. As we walked back up the stairs I was trailing behind Shelli…….she said if I did not pick up the pace she was going to order a Code Red on me. The wind was blowing north so I was sure the boat would drift towards Seahurst Park so I got back into the car and headed to Seahurst Beach.

Seahurst Park was closed but I parked the car at the top and asked Shelli to wait for me while I walked down to the beach. Man what a hike. It was raining super hard and the wind was loud, branches and leaves were flying everywhere. I reached the beach but could see nothing but big waves. All I could think about was how scary it would feel to be on a 12-foot boat with no oars in the dark on those white caps. I called the police myself and said this was now a life or death situation.

What am I to do? I am soaked from head to toe. The only solution is to go to the 913 and order a scotch so that is exactly what Shelli and I did. We entered the restaurant and the first person that saw us suggested that we carry umbrellas from now on- I mean we were both drenched.

Two Monkey Shoulders, neat, were set on the table when my phone rang- a police officer had the thief in the back of his car. The Coast Guard found the young kid one thousand yards off shore, in the middle of the shipping lanes, sitting in that 12-foot Sport Cat with no oars and drifting outwards with the tide. The officer instructed me to drive to the Des Moines Marina to meet with him and identify my recovered boat. We left the two scotches and dessert on the table and headed for Des Moines.

Shelli and I were relieved the kid did not perish with the boat. The officer said the kid wanted to talk to me and say he was sorry for taking the boat. So I agreed to talk to him. His name is Anthony and he was about 20-years old. He said he saw the boat and my table and chairs on the beach and thought someone had stolen them and collected them to this spot. I asked him if he could read my no trespassing sign. He said he only wanted to go out for a short 20-minute trip on the Ocean and that he was planning to return the boat afterwards. I asked him if he had stolen my other boat, which went missing six months ago. He said no. I told him that his life would be better off if he would come to realize that taking other people’s property is a crime.

The officer explained the kid was going to jail whether I was pressing charges or not. The officer informed me the kid did indeed have a track record of stealing in Burien. I instructed the officer that I wanted to press charges – even though I really felt bad for the kid. I do have a fiduciary responsibility to my neighbors and community so letting him get away with stealing was not an option.

Shelli and I returned to the 913 Restaurant where our two scotches were waiting. We shared a dessert and our story with Frank the owner.

As I write this the kid sits in jail. I am left wondering why a young kid would try to take a boat, in the dark, out in a wind storm with only a broken shovel for a paddle. Thanks to Joel Millar the kid is alive and well. Joel, thanks for calling the police. Thanks to the Coast Guard.

Also, the Burien Police Department shared this story on their Facebook page Sunday morning (Oct. 26):

From the files of “This is not going to end well”:

Last night, a 20-year old man trespassed on someone’s private beach property helped himself to someone’s canoe. One small problem was there were no paddles with the canoe, so this creative young MacGyver found a shovel and decided it would be a suitable paddle. One larger problem winds were 30 MPH with gusts up to 44 MPH. Not ideal weather for a 10 foot canoe. Of course if he owned his own canoe, he would probably know better.

Not very far into his journey, the man called 911 for help. It seems he dropped his “paddle” and was adrift in the Puget Sound near Seahurst. Also about this time, a neighbor called in a stolen canoe report. Coast Guard to the rescue…they located our frantic theft suspect and brought him to shore, to a waiting Burien officer.

Once we made sure he was okay, we gave him a free ride to a much drier place and booked him for theft. Shockingly, he also had two outstanding warrants for theft as well. He may be enjoying some institutional oatmeal and powdered egg mix as you read this.