Councilmember Tanya Woo (Position 8) released the following statement in response to Wednesday night’s shooting at 12th Ave S and S King St.:

I remember what we’ve lost in our community — Little Saigon was once a vibrant shopping district, a place where people from all over the city came together. The violence must stop and I’m committed to doing what I can on the council to fix it. We simply can’t afford to take a step backward in rebuilding our public safety resources.

I walk through Little Saigon every week with my community watch group, and I’m working closely with many local businesses. My office is keeping a close eye on the Navigation Center’s move in January, and we’ll be advocating for funding to support safety ambassadors, much like the program on 3rd Avenue. The area around 12th and Jackson/King is closely linked to the 3rd Avenue Pike/Pine corridor, and we know that solving the challenges in one area requires addressing the issues in the other as well.

I’ll soon be hosting a community forum with Police Chief Sue Rahr, and other city officials, to hear directly from people who live and work in the neighborhood. I’m also working closely with my Council colleagues on proposed legislation to help address our public safety needs.

###