King County launches new safety plan for its downtown Seattle campus

SEATTLE — King County officials have announced the launch of a new plan to create a safer environment around King County facilities in downtown Seattle.

King County’s central campus is bordered by Third Avenue, Yesler Terrace, James Street, and Sixth Avenue.

Under the Civic Campus Safety Plan, there will be additional security and cleanup services including:

• More deputies regularly patrolling on foot and on bicycles weekdays between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• Security officers conducting perimeter patrols of the downtown campus.
• A general cleanup of trash each morning and pressure washing three times a week. Custodians will also be on-call during normal business hours for cleaning incidents as needed.

Additionally, a City Hall Park Neighborhood Outreach Team has been created to help homeless people around City Hall Park to find shelter, as well as help people who are in crisis.

King County officials said employees and people in the community often don’t know what to do when they see someone who may need help. A member of the outreach team can be contacted at 206-537-3770 to help someone in the service area.

The eight-person team is based out of the Jefferson Building at Fourth Avenue and Jefferson Street and is funded through the Behavioral Health and Recovery Division of the Department of Community and Human Services.

It provides behavioral health services in an area from Yesler Way to James Street and Second Avenue to Fourth Avenue.

While not located within the Civic Campus Safety Plan boundary, King County officials said resources have also been expanded for the King Street Center, where three security officers have been assigned. There will also be daily exterior cleanup and pressure washing there three times a week.

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