About 40 people attended a community forum on violence and gangs at the Rainier Beach public library last night. Council member Sally Clark and I also attended, primarily to listen to resident's concerns.
Police commanders briefed the crowd on recent violence in the neighborhood, although the officers were fairly tight-lipped on details. Residents were upset with low police staffing levels in the south precinct, a recent surge in graffiti and violent assaults, and perceived slow police response times. Capt. Les Liggins, commander of the southeast precinct, said he had approximately 83-85 patrol officers assigned to his precinct; ideally, he said he would have 105.
If you want a chilling and stark description of youth gang activities in Seattle, read this morning's Seattle PI cover story.