Cils

City of Seattle

Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

lefiee ofthe Mayor
City of Seattle
Jenny ii.- Durlcan, Mayor

Eseoutive Clrder 2020-1113: To provide City departments direction on a coordinated City response
with respect to observed and reported life safety, public health, and property issues in and
around the East Precinct and Cal Anderson Parlc.

The purpose of this Executive Cirder is to direct Departments to coordinate the City?s response to
observed and reported iife safety, public heoitn, and property issues in and around the East Precinct
and C'El'f Anderson Pork.

the ltilling of lEeorge Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, REED, has
generated anger and outlage across the United States, resulting in mass demonstrations; and

WHEREAS. the City supports the pea ple?s right to lawful assembly guaranteed by the Constitution of
the United States ofAmerica and the Constitution of the State of Washington- Due to the current
State of Emergency and the Stay Home Stay Healthy er, the City was unable to issue a
parade andior demonstration permits to groups who wished to lawfqu assemble to yoice their
opinions, and plans to escort palades and otherwise assist in the safe and lawful right of speech and
assembly; and

WHEREAS, the City recognizes that parades and demonstrations which will travel upon public streets
and sidewalks, will disrupt and impair pedestrians, motorisls and transit, and the City recogniz? that
some disruption is part ofthe rights offree speech and lawful assembly which the City will safeguard;
and

WHEREAS, much of the expression has been peaceful and created community solidarity for Black
Liyes Matter, including featu res such as a community garden, public art, and conyersation corner; and

to date, City departments have more than reasonably accommodated protesto rs by
offering services and shelter- The City has spent weeks on voluntaryr efforts to urge people to leave
the Cal Anderson Park area giyen the emerging circumstances and recent shootings, and

 

lattice of the Mayor Fourth Avenue, Sox?s-1119, Seattle, losses-moo seattlegovy'mayor

?ecutive Drd-er snap-es |I2rirective urn-Ed Miderm Park Area]
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WHEREAS, in the area areund the Seattle Pelice De pa rtment's East Precinct, beu nd ed by Breadway
(west) and 13th Ave E- [east]I and Denny Way Enerthl and E. Pike St. Eseuth]I {defined as ?Cal
Andersen Park Area?), the City has reasenably facilitated en engeing exercise ef First Amendment

rights and demenstratiens by:

Preyiding basic hygiene, water, litter and garbage remeyal, and electricity;

Temperarily allewing ebstructiens ef public parks, streets, and sidewalks;

Medifying SPD and res pense pretecels te meet public safety needs te the extent pessible
within this area;

Medifying streets. and pedestrian access reutes;

Preyidingse cial seryices eutreach and engagement aleng with referlals fer shelter, be hayieral
health and ether supperl's fer indiyiduals in need; and

Facilitating medi?ed city services delivery te Iecal residents and businesses impacted by the
events in this area.

WHEREAS, the City?s ebligatiens under tile First Amendment de net require the City te preyide
limitless sanctuary te eccupy City preperty, damage City and private preperty, ebstruct the right ef
way, er fester dangereus cen ditien s; and

1WHEREAS, after signifimnt natienal attentien, many pretestc-rs have left the area but the ce nditiens
in the Cal Andersen Park Area haye deterierated te the peint where public health, life, and safety are
threatened by actiyities in and areund this area, as supperted by the fellewing facts:

Gn June 20, the first efth ree in cidents ef?rearms yielent with ultiple victims eccurred;
ene in diyidual was shet and killed, and an eth er was shet and serieusly injured-

First respende rs frem the Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Felice Departmentwere denied
safe access be the area by hestile crewd s, including armed individuals, and ebstructiens-

Gn June 22, SIDED, a secend incident inyelying ?rearms yielen ce injured twe add itien
individuals. On June 26, 21321], SDGT empleyees attempted te remeve a limited number ef
barriers, but unarmed empleyees were met wid'l hestility and weapens. SUI-CIT ceuld net
cenduct eperatiens.

Access by first respenders te emergencies haye been impeded further- On the merningefJune
ES, demenstlaters meyed the cencrete barriers te cempletely restrict access ef ?re and
medics en multiple reads- Demenstratc-rs had preyieusly agreed te epen these areas te access
fer residents, businesses, city services, and fire-

On June 29, 2020, a juye nile Illyas shet and killed, and an eth erjuyenile was serieusly injured in
the immediate I..ricinity ef this area- Eyiden ce indicates that this murder may haye been
cemmitted by "eccu pying" the area.

On June SCI, 2020, SHOT remeved a limited number ef barriers with but was quickly met
with agitated eppesitien tn the remeval-

In additien, SPD has received numereus reperls ef narceties use and yielent crime, including
rape, re bbe ry, assault, and increased gang actiyity. An increase ef 52513-3, 22 additienal
incidents, in persen-related crime in the area, te include twe additienal hemicides, IE

 

?ecutive Clrder Bum-m ?Directive bn Cid Andersm Park Area]
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June ab, abab

additibnal and 16 additibnal aggravated assaults {tb include 2 additibnal nbn-fatal
between June 2?d and June 2021], cbmpared tb the same peribd bf time in
21319.

I Residential and businesses in the area have documented incidents bf harassment, graffiti,
nbise disturbances, and bf vehicular tlaffic tb residences and places bf business,
and multiple Iawsuils and claims have been filed against the City by residents and businesses
impacted by the activities in this area-

I Significant damage has been mused by thbse remaining unlawfully in the area tb City
pe rty, including Cal Andersbn Park and the East Precinct facility- The full extent bf damage
tb the East Precinct remains an bpen questibn until city are allbwed access tb the
site in brder tb make that assessment-

I lCilpen fires and 1.rehicles bn the reservbir are placing impbr'tant regibnal water infrastructure
lbmted within Cal Andersbn at risk-

I An alarming recent rise in numbers the regibn, cbupled with a lack bf sbcial
distancing in this area, and the daily attractibn tb this area bf bufside individuals place the
at bpening businesses at increased risk butbreaks-

I- A pervasive presence bf ?rearms and er weapbns has been well-dbcume nted.

I lCilngbing viblatibns bfthe Seattle Parks and Recreatibn?s dee bf Cbnduct haye been bbserved,
including camping and parking in the park, cbnduct that unreasbna bly deprives bthe rs bf the
use bf parks, disrupting Seattle Parks and Recreatibn business, dumping trash creating
unsanitary cbnditibns br health hazards th at 1.riblate public health rules; behayibrs that impede
use; urinating br defecating, except in designated fbrtures, 
entrances, exils, fire exils, disabled access areas, public wall-arrays; cbnduct that creates an
unreasbnable and subslantial risk bf harm tb any persbn br prbperty; and abusive and
harassing behavibr,? and

WHEREAS, significant prbperty damage has been attempted en the East Precinct, tb include arsbn,
and the extent bf damage has be en fully assessed due tb lack bf access tn the building; and

WHEREAS, has bbseryed and is aware bf credible threats against bther City infrastructure, tb
include the West Precinct, which hbuses city-wide 911 cbmmunicatibns sen-ices; and

WHEREAS, the City, recbgnizing the piybtal mbmentum and nities sbcial justice and public
safety that events the murder bf Eeerge has generated, has attempted in
faith tb en gage in prbductiye dialbgue; and

WHEREAS, the City remains cbmmitted tb re-imagining pblicing and making significant investments
intb the cbmmu nity and cbntinuing butreach, engagement, and nity unity input in
re-examining the rble bf pblice and the refbn'n bf sbcial services; and

WHEREASI since pm bn June SCI, lCal And ersbn Park has been clbsed pursuant tb an emergency
rule clbsing the park tb address life safety and prbperty issues; and

 

Enecutiye Drder zeae-ee |I2riracti'.'e Ian-Ed ?r?ersm Parl: Area]
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while theusan ds ef peaceful pee ple haye trayelled te the area, pelice and city em pleyees
haye enceunte red hestile and armed individuals. in this area whe haye indimted by their actie ns and
werds their intentte resist geyernment interu'entien with physical yielence that have caused ce ncern
ferthe safety ef the legal residents. and city empleyee safety if current circumstances persist; and

WHEREAS, based en the knewn engeing criminal actiyity in and areund the Cal Andersen Park Area,
it is anticipated that there will be exigent circumstances that require immediate actien by SPD te
pretect and prese rye public safety and welfare-

HDW, THEREFDRE, Jenny A- De rl:an, Mayer ef Seattle, hereby directs all City departments te wed:
in ceerdinatien te respend te the ebseryed and reperted exigent life safety, public health, and
preperty issues in and areund Cal Andersen Park Area, which is de?ned as the areas beunded by
Elreadway [west] and 13th E. {eastll and Denny IIl'll'ay {nerth} and E. Pike St. {seuth}-

l. Effectiye at 12:11] pm neen en June 30, 2020, Cal Andersen Park was clesed- At am en July 1,
21321], the entirety ef the Cal Andersen Park Area shall be clesed te the public te restere public
safety, epen readways, remeye ebstructiens te readways and public rights ef way, and te
accemplish full clesure and restelatienfcleaning ef Dal Andersen Park- All departments shall
ceerdinate as fellews te accemplish this werk-

2. All persens whe are unlawfully eccupying Cal Andersen Park area whe are in public rights ef way
er the pa rlr. shall be directed te leaye the clesed area immediately-

3. The Seattle Felice Department shall enferce this clesure and preyide dispersal erders fer anye ne
refusing te yacate the area immediately- Persens whe refuse er intentienally fail te ebey this
clesure erd er te meye and disperse frem the area will be subject te arrest-

4. Any use ef ferce shall be ce nsistent with SPD pelicy and the terms ef the Preliminary Injunctien
issued in Sleek Lives Matter City efS-ee'ttfe, Ne. 

5. In ceerdinatien with Seattle Parks and Recreatien and the Human Seryices Department, as
necessary SPD effice rs shall in their discretien remeye er arrest in diyiduals whe are trespassing in
the Cal Andersen Park Area in yielatien ef the parks clesure and whe refuse te leaye, including
exigent arrests ef indiyiduals whe may be eccupying a tent er ether ebstructien er created
structure in a public right ef way, er in the Cal Andersen Park Area-

5. All reasenable efferts will be made by the city departments te assist indiyiduals in accessing
necessary seryices, shelter, er tla ns periatien and in packing any perse nal preperty,
including tents- The City shall take reasen able steps te separate persenal pre perty frem material
that is net persen al preperty, preyided the segregatien dees net pese a danger te the indiyid ual
segregating the persenal pre perty frem the ether material.

1 Due te the safety rislrs and engeing threats te City buildings, SPD is autherized te maintain a
reasen able security buffer areu nd the East Precinct and centrel entry inte these areas in erder
te limit any ebstru ctiens te access-

Emcu?ve Drderl'IZIIe-m [Directive ened undersea-u Park Area]
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June se, strap

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SDIDT is directed te re meve barriers and ebstructiens that impede feet traffic er vehicular
traf?c in the lDal Andersen Park area, and te maintain epen sidewalks and streets geing ferward-

Seattle Park and Recreatien is directed te begin cleaning, remediatien and reste Iatien ef l:Zal
Andersen Park.

Seattle Public Utilities is directed te inspect and secure all water facilities, and te end an1..r
utility.r service medifi?tiens te the area,?

Seattle Public Utilities, tegetber with Finance and Administrative Servic?, foice ef Ecene mic
Develepment and ether Departments as needed shall werk with the cemmunitvte amelielate
all glaffiti and prepertl.r damage;

l:ZitvI Light sh all be called te inspect any.r pewer issues identified during the eperatien;
Department ef Human Servica is directed te centinue previding secial services. eutreach and
engagement aleng with referrals fer shelter, behavieral health, and ether supperl's. fer
individuals in need,

Seattle Parks and Recreatien shall engage the cemmu nitv, business?, raidenu. and pretEt
leaders te develep a parks plan te preserve the public art, create a cemmunitv garden and ether
pessible features. like a cenversatien cerner-

This er shall be limited te ten days er until further netice, whichever cemes ?rst.

Inquiries regarding this Executive lDrder sheuld be directed te Senier Deputl.r Maver Mike Feng,
foice ef the Mave r-

Dated this day:I ef June, EDED.

EMS

Je nn1..r A. Du rkan
Maver ef Seattle