Since the June 1 annexation of the Finn Hill, Kingsgate and Juanita neighborhoods, one main issue continues to spark readers’ opinions.
The visibility of the Kirkland Police Department and their contribution to the new neighborhoods has been seen in many different ways.
Some residents have been so passionate about their views they have filled the letters section in the Reporter since annexation.
The King County Sheriff’s Office had the resources for just one deputy to cover more than 30,000 residents in the three neighborhoods. In contrast, the KPD is hiring 37 new officers to increase the police presence in post-annexation Kirkland.
Opinions have varied on the police presence.
Kirkland resident Russ Perman said he’s “seen more cops in the past two weeks than all the previous 19 years!” He continued, “we don’t live in a police state where cops outnumber the residents.”
However, Dick Fredlund welcomes more police.
In a recent letter, Fredlund applauds the KPD and their enforcement of the law in his neighborhood. “Enforcing traffic regulations does not constitute a police state, unless of course you are one of the violators,” he said.
Responding to some of these concerns, we will launch a four-part series on the Kirkland Police.
The series will examine how residents have received the KPD’s presence in the new neighborhoods, and how the KPD has responded. The issue of traffic enforcement has also been at the heart of the debate.
The series will also look at how the first year of the fireworks ban went and how it compares to previous years in Kirkland, what resources were used to enforce the ban and how the KPD will use this information in the coming years.
Issues with expanding the KPD also have to do with the city’s budget. We’ll examine the creation of a public safety building in the Totem Lake neighborhood that is budgeted for $37 million and will include a much larger jail than the city’s current facility. The building will also house all Kirkland Municipal Court and KPD functions.
As always, we encourage our readers to keep engaged and submit your opinions to: letters@kirklandreporter.com.
