City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth (District 3), whose district includes the Capitol Hill neighborhood, released this statement following a deadly shooting in the community on Thursday night, October 9.
Last night, another life was taken on Capitol Hill. I am devastated. My heart aches for the victim, their family and friends, and every neighbor who witnessed this horrific act. Our community deserves safety and peace.
Since the beginning of my term, I have consistently called for meaningful public safety investments in Capitol Hill and First Hill. Every day, I walk around the neighborhood. I speak with residents, small business owners, workers, and students about their concerns. As a city, we’ve made small steps forward – and we are capable of doing better. We can address the problem right in front of us with existing tools and resources.
That’s why I’m calling for the following immediate actions:
- Consistent Increased presence of the CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement) Team and Seattle Police Department (SPD) along the Pike/Pine corridor and throughout Broadway, north and south.
- King County Council to increase its current $1 million allocation for Capitol Hill/First Hill cleanup to $3 million, prioritizing the area near the Polyclinic — the future home of the Crisis Care Clinic.
- Capitol Hill/First Hill Ambassadors — modeled after the successful CID (Chinatown International District) program — to provide consistent and visible presence in the community.
- I will be advocating during budget deliberations for City-sanctioned shelter encampments with bundled access to resources like water, sewer, garbage, electricity, safety measures, mental health counselors, a day center area, and mobile drug treatment facilities. These are not permanent solutions, but they are a necessary first step toward stability and recovery. We must help people move out of crisis and into care.
- Continued environmental design improvements — including lighting upgrades, beautification, and traffic flow enhancements to make streets safer and more welcoming.
We owe our neighborhood more than statements or open letters. We owe them a plan that is humane, realistic, and immediate. We cannot heal if we avoid the hardest conversations. This is Seattle’s moment to face the crisis head-on with urgency, compassion, and the courage to act.
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