By Bill Young
After previously living in Everett’s downtown business core for more than 12 years, I feel qualified to provide commentary on this city’s downward spiral into an abyss of crime, drugs, mental health issues and economic blight.
Four years ago, my middle-class, educated family who enjoy attending church and youth sporting events, going out to dinner and playing at the park, simply could not justify raising our children in this completely chaotic environment any longer. Hence, we moved to a neighboring community where we enjoy safe streets and a much better quality of life.
We no longer have to be concerned about being assaulted by the mentally ill man who is in a drug-fueled frenzy. Gone are those tense moments when an aggressive panhandler might scream threats and profanities in earshot of my children. There aren’t drive-by shootings or assaults on elderly patrons in front of the post office or library. People aren’t camped out in our parks; and most importantly, we feel safe and at ease in our new city.
Tragically, many Everett residents are completely oblivious to the magnitude of the crime within Everett. These crimes do not simply constitute “low level crimes;” but rather murders, rapes, drive-by shootings, bank robberies and attempted car-jackings. Case in point: There have been in excess of 35 shootings within Everett during the previous seven months, and some of these shootings have resulted in homicides.
These issues are not an indictment against the police department, as they are understaffed and overworked. These are brave men and women who are trying their best to combat a multidimensional problem that has existed for at least 20 years. Unfortunately, these officers are forced to race from call to call without the proper time to make interventions and complete the most comprehensive of investigations. The citizens of Everett owe a debt of gratitude to these heroic first responders who risk their own safety to combat the rampant crime within Everett.
Unfortunately, the local press and many Everett officials have engaged in the process of normalization and justification of myriad social issues currently facing Everett. They say that these problems are getting better or that these crimes are primarily property crimes. The drug issues and the gang violence are certainly getting far worse, and the homeless problem has now reached all corners of the city. This is not a new phenomenon and certainly was not caused by the pharmaceutical companies. These problems continue to fester as a result of a lack of clear direction by city government.
Recently, my wife and 10-year-old daughter were terrorized by a deranged man while at Forest Park. The man was screaming, “Die, kill, KKK, skinheads and God is sexy,” in a completely maniacal fashion; and this behavior completely terrified my daughter. Fortunately, our dog was with them and was ready to chew this man’s leg off. As a community, we must always demonstrate compassion for the downtrodden and less fortunate; however, that cannot be at the expense of our family’s safety and well-being.
Our family makes a concerted effort to stay out of Everett if at all possible; and sadly enough, I know many other regular families from surrounding communities that all but boycott Everett because of the crime and bizarre incidents. Incredulously, many current residents have become completely desensitized to this outrageous behavior.
After living in Snohomish County for more than 40 years, I am completely saddened that Everett has devolved into such an unsafe place. Everett has so much to offer in terms of great restaurants, the marina and mall, beautiful parks and the AquaSox and Silvertips. However, you may be assaulted while on your way to experience these great things.
This year’s mayoral election is absolutely pivotal in terms of the future and quality of life within Everett. Regardless of who is elected, the city leaders much take an aggressive, conservative law-and-order approach to combating these problems. It is completely evident that prior approaches have not been successful over the past 20 years.
The city leaders must fully fund and staff law enforcement agencies to be equipped to carry out their mission. If this means cutting other city programs, then so be it. Would you rather have more art or safer streets? The police department must fully staff its ranks, and these officers should saturate high-crime areas and engage in proactive community policing that encompasses more foot and bike patrols. These officers must be as aggressive as necessary within constitutional boundaries to eradicate street crime.
City Council members should enact ordinances that make drinking in public and camping out in parks and in front of businesses completely unacceptable. There must be stringent ordinances that the police are able to arrest people for behaviors that are unsafe and frightening for the rest of the law-abiding citizens. Most importantly, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens must absolutely demand that city leaders clean up the scourge on their city.
Bill Young lives in Lake Stevens.
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