North Seattle residents who say their community along Aurora Avenue North has become a war zone of sex trafficking and shootings are finally hearing promises of action from city leaders. After months of pleading for intervention, neighbors gathered as officials laid out a plan they said was on the way.
For the people who live along the corridor, the problems are familiar and persistent. Residents pointed to pimps, prostitution, sex trafficking and drug activity that they say have plagued the area, telling reporters the situation had only gotten worse and that many in the community had lost faith that anything would change.
City officials, including the mayor, the police chief and the city attorney, sought to reassure the neighborhood that help is coming. The mayor said the situation on Aurora was unacceptable for the people who live there, for those who work there, and called it unacceptable to the city's leadership as well.
Near the top of the list of measures are road closures, something neighbors say they have wanted for some time. Officials said that within the next two weeks, residents can expect to see road closures put in place along Aurora Avenue as part of the effort to disrupt the criminal activity in the area.
On the policing side, Chief Sean Barnes said there are already two dedicated officers patrolling the area. Starting the following week, he said, there would be even more focused policing along the corridor, including bicycle officers and undercover patrols aimed at the crime that has taken root there.
City Attorney Erica Evans said her office is going after nuisance properties tied to the problems on Aurora. She added that she is asking for additional money to hire more dedicated prosecutors who would focus specifically on the crimes seen along the avenue, in an effort to back up the enforcement push.
Despite the promises, not everyone left convinced. Some residents said they were not confident the press conference or a recent community march would achieve their goals, while elected officials appeared to disagree over tools such as the stay-out-of-areas-of-prostitution and drug orders known as SOAP and SODA, including how long they have been in place and how effective they have been.