A memorial to Ferrari and other victims of street violence at Cherry and Temple Pl.
The East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC) is hosting a community forum on recent violence in the neighborhood from 6:30-8 p.m. Wednesday at Garfield Community Center.
The past week has tested the resolve of the Central District community. Police have no new information in the shocking May 24 death of Justin Ferrari in front of his parents and children inside their van at MLK and Cherry. They are still urging anyone with information about the unknown shooter to come forward. You can call the Homicide tip line 24 hours a day at (206) 233-5000. If you do not want to call police directly, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-TIPS (8477) or send a text to CRIMES (274637). Begin your text message with “FYI486” to ensure proper routing.
The incident has brought some in the community together, but driven others away. Emotions ran high as people processed the devastating story in different ways. If conversation on CDNews comments are any gauge, the event brought out the worst and the best in many of us.
Community members held several vigils over the next couple days, and the shock of such senseless and random violence opened old wounds and memories of other neighbors gunned down in our streets.
In response to a CDNews reader who was feeling depressed about the “current state of affairs in our community,” commenter leon offered this sage advice:
Wednesday’s forum could be a good chance to talk things out face-to-face with other members of the community.
More details, from EastPAC:
The recent tragic shooting of Justin Ferrari, increased gun violence, shots fired around the 23rd and Cherry/MLK area; as well as unsolved past homicides have our community on edge and experiencing a wide range of emotions: Anger, tension, fear, frustration, sorrow and loss.
In response, the East Precinct Advisory Council (EastPAC) will be holding a Community Forum from 6:30 to 8:00 PM on Wednesday, May 30th at the Garfield Community Center. The Community Center is located at 2323 East Cherry Street, on the SE corner of 23rd and Cherry.
East Precinct Captain Ron Wilson, Deputy Chief Nick Metz, Community Outreach Team Acting Captain Carmen Best, Lt. John Hayes, and youth worker Paul Patu will be present to answer your questions and hear your concerns. We have also invited Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee members.
Thank you and see you tomorrow night.
Stephanie Tschida, Chair
Tell SPD to do their damn jobs so somebody else doesn’t have to.
The police need the community as much as the community needs the police. If people won’t cooperate with them and continue to shield criminals in this neighborhood don’t expect much in the way of changes.
i’ve heard rumblings that some people want to install cameras in the neighborhood. cameras don’t make me feel any safer; cameras do not prevent crime. they just make it easier to arrest and cage people afterwards. we need to find solutions that address the root problems of crime, instead of increasing punishment of those who hurt others.
Agreed. In my opinion shielding the criminal is just as bad as pulling the trigger…
Cameras in high crime areas make perfect sense to me. I see nothing wrong with making it “easier to arrest” people. I put cameras all over car wash at 23rd and Union and crime sure dropped off for whatever reason. Sometime pragmatic approach is best approach.
Agree with this too. Why wouldn’t we want to “increase punishment to those who hurt others?” I have no problems with cameras as I have nothing to hide. I would love to see the picture of the people who shot Justin Ferrari and Tyrone Love and have it for evidence. Wouldn’t you want to know who shot your loved one?
Paula – your comment does not make sense.
Cameras help drive criminals away because they would rather not be caught on film.
If they are caught on film it is easier to identify them.
We are not “rumbling” about cameras, we are openly advocating for them.
Until we teach our children, and perhaps ourselves, that reporting crime is not “snitching” it’s ending victimization, nothing will change. The police can’t investigate something no one hears, sees or talks about. Unless you want to put cameras EVERYWHERE.
I lived on the same block for almost 15 years. The same people committed the same crimes on that block, just south of Jackson, again and again for decades. When they were in jail, it was quiet. When they were out, our cars and homes were burglarized, everything not nailed down was stolen, our neighbors assaulted and our children were terrorized. We moved. Those same people (3, to be exact) still terrorize that entire block and the surrounding blocks, except now they’ve added a now grown child to the crack dealing + associated crimes scenario. If cameras would lead to them staying in prison longer next time they go to jail, I’m all for cameras. People should not have to live in Beirut conditions for decades because the same repeat offenders get away with 95% of the crimes they commit.
I agree. If the intention here is to have documentation to land people longer prison sentences than that is a non-solution. what are the concrete community solutions to the problem that include these folks who feel so marginalized that they feel like they have to deal and shoot on your block?
If the city won’t fund the cameras, I will donate to the cause. Let me know where to send my check.
I will donate as well.
if you had cameras, you’d have a description of a suspect and leads. but yeah, cameras would stink.
Why would cameras stink? Who cares? Good grief. People post every aspect of their lives on Facebook, twitter and whatever. So what difference does a camera make at an intersection where there is known criminal activity including MURDER?
Let us know where to send the check. Happy to donate to that cause.
@madronamom,
your sarcasm meter might have been turned off. turn it on and read that again:-)
Elvis – ah yes, you are right. just a little sensitive around here…
Maybe all the other folks who have fears of putting cameras up in key locations will read it though and take it to heart.
I would suggest we utilize any and all neighborhood improvement funds for this year – on cameras. I don’t need any chicanes. Give us cameras or give us death. Lots of them. Aaaaannnnnd – post the images of suspected criminals of course. Then set up the facial recognition software and send our new SPD drones hunting, peaking into everyones windows. And if anyone has curtains closed put them on a watch list. We can’t affor to trust people. It’s too dangerous.
The neighborhood got some grants for good stuff in the most recent small projects round: http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2012/05/22/city-grants-su
A park at 19th and Madison, funding for Clean Greens—which connects youth with healthy food and provides jobs for some to work their market stands—and a youth job fair for the Work-It-Out Program. Seeing as jobless rates among minority youth are FAR higher than for other demographics, I’d say those grants are at least on the right track for our neighborhood.
Someone at the forum today said: “How the hell are you gonna take the guns out of these kids’ hands and don’t put a diploma in it?” You could say the same for access to jobs that pay a living wage.
ask andrew taylor. cameras helped a ton with the issues at Deanos.
This is an epidemic! We NEED ACTION! NOW!
This is AMERICA! My home is my castle, my neighborhood is my kingdom. I will not have Godless, lawless, mindless savages disturbing my peace and quiet!
It’s time for we, the grown—ups in the room, to firmly take control of the situation. These are the solutions:
1. We need to start an initiative campaign for a ‘stand your ground’ law in Washington.
2. We need to start an initiative campaign to expand the death penalty to include ALL violent crimes and any property crime over $20 in value; and make the state’s current “three strikes law” only ONE strike. And NO appeals for anyone.
3. We need as many gun stores as we have churches and a shorter wait period.
4. All the courts should be open and operating 24/7/365. All violent crimes should have a mandatory minimum sentence of death (1st offense).
“So little done, so much to do.” — Cecil Rhodes.
That seems unnecessarily sweeping. The waiting period is irrelevant to a sane person. You can buy all the guns you want in advance. Also, you can go in tomorrow and walk out with an AR15 rifle in 20 minutes. You only have to wait for hand guns. I can blast 100 rounds out of my new AR before changing magazines. My Glock will only do 16. Had to wait for the Glock. I got lots of extras cause my neighbors are too chicken to own their own. They have been happy to learn how to shoot. And I should be able to properly arm and employ them in battle at the right time.
The courts don’t need to run 23/7. The judges just need to get control over the bs and speed people along.
Yes, more gun stores would help. I frequently don’t buy more guns because I don’t have a local outlet that I like. I prefer Ben’s Loan in Renton. Guns are super cheap there and they have a great selection. There is a sale on 50Cals now. Could blast the wheels off of a truck from half a mile with that, so, I feel pretty safe now. Some army gal hit a target 1.6 miles out with a 50. And we need less churches. What a vile group of people they are. Worse than schools.
We don’t need a law to stand our ground. Just do it.