This week and next, Mayor McGinn will be visiting each precinct in Seattle to tour neighborhood hot spots and talk with precinct commanders about what they’re doing to prepare for the summer months, which are traditionally accompanied by a rise in 911 calls. Today we visited the Southwest Precinct and talked with Captain Steve Paulsen about his plans to combat violent crime and help residents feel safer in their neighborhoods.

Southwest Precinct has the lowest crime rate of any precinct in Seattle. By partnering directly with communities through Block Watch and other programs, as well as more aggressive use of data, Captain Paulsen has brought down burglaries in SW by 21% since 2011, car prowls by 9% and car thefts by 14%.

The main challenges the precinct faces come in the summer months. This trend is dramatic even when compared to other Seattle precincts – Alki Beach is a huge hot spot on sunny summer days. To make sure people stay safe and respectful of neighbors on those perfect beach days, Captain Paulsen has deployed more officers to the Alki area and adjusted deployment scheduled slightly to meet changing needs.

We’ll be visiting each precinct in the next week to find out more about what precinct commanders are doing to prepare for the summer months. Stay tuned on our blog for more on the state of public safety in your neighborhood.

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Posted by: Words: April Thomas, Pictures: Jen Nance