Siting a jail is never a slam-dunk. That’s especially true when there’s a chance the jail could end up in a neighborhood near your house, apartment, condo or your child’s school.
It’s understandable that emotions run high on this issue. No one wants more crime, or even the appearance of criminality in their neighborhood. At the same time, however, it’s worth taking a step back and asking a fundamental question: Where do we put people that our laws say should be locked up?
There’s a big shortage of jail space. It’s gotten so bad, that every city pays other places to house their own inmates. It’s even become a cottage industry in Yakima.
King County’s looking for more jail space. Twenty-three cities statewide must replace jail beds that will be lost once a contract with King County expires in 2012.
Shoreline’s on the list of potential sites. A municipal jail planning group has been making the rounds, asking for input from citizens in Kirkland, Redmond, Bellevue and Seattle, among others.
The group decided it isn’t right that one city gets stuck with most of the jail beds. Of most immediate concern in Shoreline is the location considered for the 640-bed facility: the Aldercrest Annex property at 2545 NE 200th St., within blocks of Lake Forest Park and not too far from Mountlake Terrace or Brier.
At a recent meeting, residents expressed outrage. No one supported the idea of siting a jail facility nearby. Residents said they’re concerned about the potential for more crime and declining real estate values.
Those are understandable fears but they’re likely based more on emotion than fact. Some nationwide studies on the issue have shown that crime has either dropped or remained steady in areas where jails have arrived.
Today, jail facilities are designed to meld into their surroundings and be as unobtrusive as possible. This is an issue that deserves more rational discussion and less emotion.
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