Last Thursday there was a fatal stabbing in Seattle. It happened right outside the King County Courthouse in a homeless camp that has grown up in City Hall Park. A courthouse worker found the body. Police arrested the suspect who was still holding the knife allegedly used to stab the victim 11 times. And that’s far from the only violence that has happened in the park recently.

Friday, a group of 33 judges who work in the courthouse sent a letter begging for the city to shut down the park and find housing for the people who live at the camp:

“We are writing out of deep concern for the safety of jurors, Courthouse employees, the general public and those who find themselves unhoused and sheltering in and around City Hall Park,” the judges and commissioners wrote.

“As you know, conditions in and around the King County Courthouse vicinity, including City Hall Park, have been in a critical, unsafe and unhealthy stage for years. As a matter of last resort to address these issues, we are requesting that you close City Hall Park.”…

Citing the recent homicide, a call to police about an abandoned toddler in the encampment, employee resignations and jurors’ trepidation about serving at the courthouse, as well as ongoing assaults and harassment of court visitors and unsanitary conditions in the park, the judges and commissioners wrote they are urging the city of Seattle, which owns the park, “to act swiftly and immediately close the park.”

Superior Court Judge Jim Rogers says violence at the camp is out of control:

“We get reports of assaults, 2 to 5 a week from our own employees, people being yelled at, people being hit,” says Rogers…

“A lot of our female employees talk about feeling unsafe. I shouldn’t be working on making sure nobody gets stabbed on the way to the King County courthouse. that should not be part of my job description,” says Rogers.

Now that someone has died it’s likely the city will finally sweep the park and find housing for the current residents. This seems to be a pattern in Seattle. The same thing happened with the CHAZ/CHOP which was also tolerated until several people were shot and two were killed. Then, belatedly, the mayor ordered it shut down. But it took months longer for the city to finally clear out Cal Anderson park which was adjacent to the CHOP.

People living in these tent camps often have drug and/or mental problems. Most are involved in some form of petty crime to support their habits but the city long ago decided to pass these repeat offenders through the justice system, often putting them back on the street within hours after an arrest. The result is that they quickly learn there are no consequences for their behavior. The cycle of crimes, arrests and release continues until something escalates as it did last week in City Hall Park. Once there is a murder (or a few) then the city finally swings into action.

Here’s a local news report on the camp. As you’ll see, Mayor Durkan is promising things will improve this summer.