Community Post

Bus stop shelter drug activity at 25th & E Union

Has anyone else noticed an increase in the drug activity in the bus shelter at 25th & E Union (on the north side of Union heading towards downtown)?

I called in to 911 at approx 6:55am to report about 6 to 8 people in the bus shelter dealing and smoking drugs. As they saw me calling the police, they started to scatter, but I was able to describe 3 of the suspects (see below). I should have used my cell phone camera to take pictures (maybe next time). Since they were starting to scatter, I got the impression from the 911 dispatcher that they were not going to send anyone to investigate…aargh!!! As much as I like the bus shelter, I would like Metro to remove it. I’ve lived in the neighborhood and taken this bus for over 12 years now. I’m sick and tired of the urine smelling, drug infested bus shelter that I’ve seen a multitude of people either dealing or doing drugs in and sometimes they are just completely passed out in the shelter. I would love to get these peoples pictures and just post them on the telephone poles around the neighborhood.

Suspects:

White male approx 6 ft tall, shaved head, wearing a peach colored shirt (sweat shirt type) and black running pants with 2 white stripes down each side.

Black female approx 5’4″ wearing a black hat, black jacket, khaki pants with multiple zippers and shoes that were like a sandal/flip flop. The white male was lighting up her pipe for her.

Black male approx 5’7″ wearing black jacket and bright red baseball hat. Baggy black shorts.

That’s all I could get out to the 911 operator before the bus came and I went off to work.

0 thoughts on “Bus stop shelter drug activity at 25th & E Union

  1. As I got on the bus, they were heading northbound on 25th Ave towards E Pike/E Pine direction.

  2. yes, i notice that shelter all the time and it’s disgusting. I’d like to know if that shelter has something to do with the selling of the yoga studio right in front.

    even with my highly protective mutt, i don’t feel 100% comfortable walking by there.

  3. Yeah, that’s my bus shelter, and I have noticed people there early in the morning, and at night. I wonder if the thing were turned around so the open side were facing the street (like the one up the hill on 23d) things might be better? Thanks for pursuing these ‘users’ with the cops. I just shrug.

  4. The worst outcome is that the shelters and benches are removed or not provided. Law abiding citizens lose amenities due to the behavior of a few. No, we should not become comfortable and inured to the situation. It is also just sad.

    Certainly the city has the right and responsibility to protect public property. I usually approach the situation with the attitude that the people involved, for the most part, don’t intend me direct harm. Nonetheless, the trash, urine smells, and potential violence negatively affect the area, its livability and mood of residents. One day I told the 911 operator I was beginning to feel as grumpy as the people fighting in the street.

    Regular patrols should allow the police to observe what is going on and develop some plan of action. A lot is put back on citizens, but the number of hours required to observe, get good descriptions and to call 911 often enough to be lucky enough to hit a time that police are available could use up more time than a second not very desirable job. While I believe that work with the police should continue, it is time that the city council members, the Mayors Office, and Metro hear from us.

  5. Right on, Joanna and others. We’re constantly told to use transit instead of driving, but meanwhile using transit becomes less pleasant and less safe, both on the bus and at the stops. I have switched the other way, to some extent – driving when I used to walk or take the bus.
    Metro has its own police – one of their staff even spoke at an EPCPC meeting a few months ago – I think they are actually part of the Sheriff’s dept. – they ought to be able to help.
    This could be another – or part of the same – task force focused on contacting “all of the above” re accomplishing remediation of specific problems in our neighborhood.
    Part of the vision of those of us involved in bringing the “drop in center” to 23rd and Union was easier SPD oversight over this type of thing, just through what we thought would be their frequent coming and going from their space – but it’s not happening. Another topic for this Thursday night at EPCPC!

  6. Metro contracts out security to the Sherriff’s Department – SPD used to do some of the work, but County Council recently changed that over to KC completely. I’m not thrilled with that, as I think many of the Sherriff’s Dept. folks aren’t particularly adept at dealing with urban issues, but it is what it is.

    What I don’t know – and hopefully someone at EPCPC will know – is how that coordination works.

    On the bus stop itself: Metro has funds to deal with those things. If all we ask them to do is reverse the shelter so it’s facing the street, that’s a pretty small request, and I bet Larry Gossett (our KC Council member) would be able to help make that happen. Keep the bench, just put it where people can see inside.

  7. I agree! The police should cruise by every morning at the time people use it during commute hours and in the PM cummute hours. They do this in other parts of Seattle why not here? No, I will not mention my previous past conclusions I posted.

  8. I do not buy the contract “pass the buck” response. The KC sheriff responds to Bus issues. This is a Seattle street issue, hence an SPD issue!

  9. Along those lines… what can be done about the mobs of teens that meander across the street often daring drivers to even get close to them? It’s so retarded/ the kids are like a 120lbs of wasted angry energy. Who knows if they have a gun and who cares to find out so we sit there like neutered pacifists retards being intimidated by children in the street. Jackson between 23rd and 28th are particularly bad.

  10. Your in Duce 8 “territory”. Again, the police should have cleaned this up years ago! They do it in other neighborhoods. J-walking is illegal and they can use it as a tool to show force along with other methods to drive the criminals out if they wanted to.

  11. We had several groups of cops stop by our block party earlier this month. I mentioned the bus shelter to one of the groups and the police officer responded like it didn’t even hit the radar with them. (She had a different response when I raised concerns about other issues). The bush shelter is definitely something to bring up at the East Precint meeting tomorrow night.

  12. It’s happening in a bus stop. I’m not saying don’t talk to SPD about it – please do. I’m saying that Metro has some responsibility here too.

  13. The Miller neighborhood struggled with similar issues around bus shelters.

    One bus shelter on Madison was removed. For another (on John), Councilmember Rasmussen helped us with a more imaginative solution. The (vertical) back of the shelter was removed, making its “residents” visible to passing (Police) cars. The shelter retained its value as a shelter (from the rain), but became much less useful as a hangout for other purposes.

    It really helped with our problems.
    Andrew

    PS: the prostitutes on Madison clearly knew the #11 schedule. They’d hang out in the shelter, but would be walking between shelters when the bus came by!