People around our region were glued to a TV, picked up a newspaper or surfed the internet to find out details about the recent murders of five police officers in two separate incidents. The assassinations of Sgt. Mark Renninger, Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Gregory Richards in Lakewood and Seattle officer Timothy Brenton broke countless hearts, but also brought communities together in a show of support. Many people drove to memorials or conveyed, in one form or another, their appreciation for these and all law enforcement officers’ contribution to our safety.
But just like the sorrow for these fallen officers, that outreach of support will fade. Most people do appreciate what law enforcement personnel and their families sacrifice for our safety, even if it is not expressed all the time. But what law enforcement see from the general public all too often is the reaction of citizens who get a speeding ticket or are caught doing something worse.
According to a representative at the Kirkland Police Department, the city agency has never lost a member in the line of duty. For that we are thankful. And while the issues that Kirkland residents are trained on right now are more about taxes, annexation and budget deficits, it is important to remember that these criminal actions could happen anywhere. That was none too obvious a few weeks ago when a woman was stabbed nearly two dozen times in a Kirkland parking garage. Like in all emergency incidents, Kirkland’s finest were there to serve and protect.
Most people, regardless of their political affiliation, would agree that the number one job of government is public safety. But who looks out for the safety of those that serve and protect us? We do, by supplying these brave men and women with the resources they need to do their job in a safe and timely manner. With enough officers to outnumber criminals. With state-of-the-art equipment to protect themselves from lunatics.
Some of the biggest issues with the annexation of the Finn Hill, North Juanita and Kingsgate neighborhoods into Kirkland concern public safety. What happens with shared fire districts that serve the PAA? How smooth would the transition from King County police to Kirkland police be? These are just two of the many questions surrounding the transition, should the city now vote to approve annexation. And these issues will not just impact the annexation area, but current Kirkland residents as well.
With the city’s budget issues, the idea of slowly ramping up service to the PAA has surfaced. City Manager Dave Ramsay told council members during a recent study session that they will not slowly ramp up service and we applaud that stance. He said that he learned that lesson from the last annexation (North Rose Hill) that took place in the early 1990s. Ramsay came into the city just after the annexation vote and said that issues with city services arose during the transition because it was not adequately funded from the start. Slowly ramping up public services is one thing, but doing it with public safety is not acceptable – ever. If the council finds it necessary to vote to annex, do it right, find the money before you vote, get help from the county or don’t do it at all. For the safety of Kirkland residents, PAA residents and the safety of the men and women sworn to protect us, make sure that public safety is adequately funded from day one.
