This story was originally published on mynorthwest.com.
Deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) are seeing good results from their increased emphasis patrols in White Center. Deputies have been stepping up their presence in the area in response to a surge in neighborhood crime complaints.
KCSO said it is working with the Department of Corrections and King County Metro’s Bicycle Emphasis Enforcement Squad to address quality-of-life issues affecting the community.
In February, deputies made 12 arrests in a single night.
Increased patrols lead to arrests, armed bus stop
This Tuesday, they added six more arrests for unlawful transit conduct, trespassing, reckless driving, domestic violence assault, and illegal firearm possession. KCSO reports most of them were tied to existing warrants.
That same day, one of the patrols discovered an armed public transit rider smoking marijuana on a Metro bus. When the sheriff’s team tried to remove him, the man resisted. That’s when they found a reproduction .22 caliber Uzi-style machine gun with a fake suppressor tucked under the rider’s clothing.
Authorities said the man is a convicted felon, which means he was already prohibited from possessing a gun.
KCSO said they will continue emphasis patrol nights as long as community members continue to report feeling unsafe in the White Center area.