Tag: blogs

Visit the Washington state Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) website

OLYMPIA — Lest someone take offense at the sight of hundreds of Muslims in the streets Monday, those taking part in Muslim Lobby Day reviewed some scary possibilities before their march to the Capitol.

It was unlikely, Mustafa Mohamedali told those gathered inside The Olympia Center, but necessary to consider: Objects could be thrown, they could be shot at, something could explode.

“If there is anything thrown at us, let us simply call 911,” Mohamedali said to the audience, in town for the event sponsored by the Washington state Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil-rights organization. As he spoke, 911 and the local number for the Olympia Police Department were displayed on a large screen; people punched the Police Department’s number into their phones.

Building Trust Between Communities and Local Police

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with elected officials, community and faith leaders, and law enforcement officials to discuss how communities and law enforcement can work together to build trust to strengthen neighborhoods across the country. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have grabbed the attention of the nation and the world, and have highlighted the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities that they protect.

Today, the Administration announced new steps we’re taking to strengthen the relationships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they are obligated to protect and serve, including:

Advancing the use of body worn cameras and promoting proven community policing initiatives
Creating a new task force to promote expansion of the community-oriented policing model, which encourages strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities that they serve as a proven method of fighting crime
Reforming how the federal government equips state and local law enforcement – particularly with military-style equipment

Get more details about these new actions below.
Increasing the use of body worn cameras, and improving community policing

The President has proposed a three-year, $263 million investment package that will:

Increase police officers’ use of body worn cameras
Expand training for law enforcement agencies (LEAs)
Add more resources for police department reform
Multiply the number of cities where the Department of Justice facilitates community and local LEA engagement

Part of the proposal is a new Body Worn Camera Partnership Program, which would provide a 50 percent match to states and localities that purchase body worn cameras and requisite storage. In fact, the proposed $75 million, three-year investment could help purchase 50,000 body worn cameras.

As noted in a recent report released by Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), evidence shows that body worn cameras help strengthen accountability and transparency, and that officers and civilians both act in a more positive manner when they’re aware that a camera is present.

Building public trust while keeping crime rates down

The President is planning to create a Task Force on 21st Century Policing, chaired by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, who also serves as President of the Major Cities Chiefs Police Association; and Laurie Robinson, professor at George Mason University and former Assistant Attorney General for DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs.

The task force – which will include law enforcement representatives and community leaders, among others – has a threefold purpose:

Build on the extensive research that’s being conducted by DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)
Examine how to promote effective crime reduction while building public trust
Prepare a report and recommendations within 90 days of the task force’s creation

Reforming how the federal government equips local law enforcement

In August, the President ordered a review of federal funding and programs that help equip state and local law enforcement agencies (LEAs). Over the course of the review, the White House explored whether existing federal programs:

Provide LEAs with equipment that is appropriate for what their communities need
Ensure that LEAs have adequate policies in place for use of the equipment, and that their personnel are trained and certified on how to use this equipment
Encourage LEAs to employ practices and standards that prevent misuse or abuse of this equipment

The final report, released today, finds inconsistencies in how these federal programs are structured, implemented, and audited. The report also identifies four areas of further focus that could help ensure that these programs help maximize the safety and security of both police officers and their communities:

Local community engagement
Federal coordination and oversight
Training requirements
The community-policing model

In light of this review, President Obama is planning to issue an Executive Order directing relevant agencies to work together and with law enforcement and civil rights and civil liberties organizations to develop specific recommendations within four months.

The day of the Ferguson grand jury announcement

The day after the grand jury announcement, meet at 6pm
Westlake Park
4th & Pine, Seattle, WA United States

The day of the Ferguson grand jury announcement, meet at 7pm
Seattle Central Community College (South Side)
1701 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122

The California Wellness Foundation: Youth Violence Prevention

Youth Prevention Chart

The California Wellness Foundation (TCWF) has been the state’s leading philanthropy tackling the problem of youth violence in California. Their Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, launched in 1993, advanced a public health model of reform addressing two main areas: reducing firearm injury and death, and increasing state resources for youth crime and violence prevention.

Commonweal has consistently promoted the TCWF priority of increasing state resources for crime and violence prevention. Commonweal has tracked state spending for youth crime and violence prevention programs since 1997 (see chart). Commonweal also played a lead role in the creation large state revenue streams supporting youth service programs, including the Schiff-Cardenas Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA) which has supplied more than $1.2 billion for these programs over the last 13 years.

TCWF grantees working on firearm reduction policy were successful as well—promoting new legislative controls on automatic weapons, augmenting rules on handgun safety and encouraging local ordinances to control firearm proliferation.

Though the TCWF initiative ended in 2003, the foundation has continued to provide core support grants to help organizations to sustain the policy and safety gains realized during the Initiative. As a grantee, Commonweal provides the following services:

Advising the foundation on program and policy development
Working with state and community leaders to improve supervision and re-entry programs and strategies for juvenile offenders returning to home communities
Producing detailed analyses (digests) of legislative bills pending in each session of the California legislature, including vote status, and periodic budget reports for advocates and stakeholders
Policy advocacy to support TCWF violence prevention objectives, though a well-developed network of contacts with state and local policy leaders.

Road Map Project Awards Program

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2014 Road Map Project Awards Program! This inaugural program culminated on March 4, 2014, with a ceremony to celebrate the great work happening in South King County and South Seattle to advance equity and eliminate opportunity gaps for students. The event, held at the Museum of Flight, put a spotlight on the Awards Program’s 21 finalists, which were selected from a pool of more than 60 nominations.

This diverse group of finalists included partnerships, programs and initiatives that are getting excellent results, using data well for improvement purposes and collaborating to get more powerful results for students.

A panel of 15 judges, comprised of local and national experts, assisted in determining recipients for two Collective Impact Awards for overall excellence and seven Special Recognition Awards.

The goal of the Road Map Project Awards Program is to advance equity and eliminate opportunity gaps by recognizing amazing efforts and encouraging the spread of that success across the region. Please join us in congratulating the finalists and awardees!

Veterans Affairs

Our office provides assistance regarding veteran-entitled benefits, such as, preparing VA application forms and documentation required by the Department of Veterans Affairs. We also provide assistance in documenting military training for college credit.

All veterans expecting to receive VA educational benefits should contact the Veteran Affairs office as early as possible to obtain appropriate forms and instructions. A Veterans Advising/Request for benefits form and your schedule must be turned in each quarter in order to receive benefits for that quarter.

As a vet, you may also be eligible for a tuition reduction. Basic eligibility requirements are that you need to be a Washington state resident and have received an honorable discharge which must be indicated on the DD 214. For more information please contact the Veterans Affairs office.

For more information on Veteran Educational Benefits please visit http://www.gibill.va.gov/.

South Seattle College Information Sessions

The Seattle Public Library Hosts South Seattle College Information Sessions

Computers, graphics, aviation – learn about short-term, local training programs for in-demand careers at information sessions being held through November at The Seattle Public Library’s Central Library, 1000 Fourth Ave. and Rainier Beach Branch, 9125 Rainier Ave. S.

Participants will learn about short-term and two-year professional and technical training programs available at South Seattle College and in the Seattle area, as well as how to pay for classes.

Information sessions at the Rainier Beach Branch will take place once a month, from noon to 2 p.m. on select Wednesdays, and will focus on: Medical office professions; Computing technology; Engineering graphics and design technology; Aviation maintenance and aerospace composites; Access to childcare and additional resources while in school.

Information sessions at the Central Library will take place once a month, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on select Tuesdays, and will focus on: Finding your next career path; In-demand careers related to each training; Funding resources; Campus support services for professional & technical training; Campus support services for your employment needs.

Participants will also learn what services the Library offers to assist with educational needs.

For more information, call Quick Information at 206-386-4636 or http://www.spl.org.

Vigor Industrial and SSCC teaming up to launch Harbor Island training center

06/05/2013

From: www.WestSeattleHerald.com: Information from Vigor Industrial

Vigor Industrial and South Seattle Community College have partnered to launch an industrial training center at the shipyard on Harbor Island. The Harbor Island Training Center, which opens with a ribbon cutting ceremony June 7, will provide students with the industrial skills they need to get family-wage jobs at the region’s industrial manufacturers.

“There’s a disconnect between industry and a lot of talented, hardworking people in this country,” explained Sue Haley, Vigor’s senior vice president of human resources. “People want to work and industry needs a highly skilled workforce. However, Vigor and other manufacturers can’t find enough workers with the right skills to fill good-paying jobs. This training center will bridge that disconnect by providing motivated local people with critical industrial skills.”

Partnering with South Seattle was a natural fit, she said, with Vigor providing the location, equipment and a real-world industrial workplace, and South Seattle Community College’s welding and manufacturing programs bringing their long expertise in skills training and instruction. The center is already garnering wider community support, including a partnership with the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters and Local 32, which donated welding machines and will provide additional training options.

The center is located on-site at the shipyard, and includes a computer lab, classroom space and an industrial training floor with weld-booths and industrial machining equipment. The shipyard location will also allow students to experience how the facility works and learn from veteran workers. The college worked closely with industry to design a curriculum that imparts marketable welding and fitting skills for maritime and other manufacturing industries and will administer the program.

“This is truly an exciting partnership for our welding and related manufacturing programs ,” South Seattle Community College President Gary Oertli said. “The training program will allow its graduates to obtain the skills that they need to contribute to this booming industry and will keep the Seattle maritime industry a key component of our local economy for many years to come.”

Visit South Seattle Community College’s information web page to learn more about the program.

Training Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

What: The opening of the Harbor Island Training Center. Events include:

• Remarks from South Seattle Community College President Gary Oertli, Vigor CEO Frank Foti and elected officials including state Rep. Larry Seaquist, chair of the House Higher Education Committee.
• Reception with incoming students and veteran craftspeople
• Tours of the facility

When: 11:00 a.m. – Noon, Friday, June 7, 2013

Where: Harbor Island Training Center
Vigor Industrial, 1801 16th Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98134

East Precinct brass to meet with Capitol Hill neighbors over safety concerns — UPDATE: Diaz out

Re-Posted from: http://www.capitolhillseattle.com
Posted on April 7, 2013 – 10:56 pm by jseattle

UPDATE: Some big changes at SPD are in the offing. Seattle Police Chief John Diaz will leave his post:

Diaz, who, who has more than 30 years with the Seattle Police Department, became the interim chief on May 7, 2009, and was sworn into office as the permanent police chief by Mayor Mike McGinn on August 16, 2010. “The most important thing that I bring to the table is I want to do the best for this city and the best for this Police Department,” he said in 2010.

Original Report: Statistically, the trends for the East Precinct don’t look good. Things aren’t looking so great anecdotally, either. Early Sunday morning, two men reportedly walked into the 15th Ave E QFC with a handgun and robbed the grocery market before disappearing into the night. Concerns about the numbers and some recent violent incidents will be on the table Monday night as the East District Council hosts a community discussion with East Precinct commander Capt. Ron Wilson:

The East District Council is an umbrella organization that brings together the First Hill, Yesler Terrace, Capitol Hill, Montlake and Madison Park neighborhoods to discuss and act on topics of shared interest.

Neighbors had public safety concerns, we asked for a Police Officer to our next meeting, and we got three: the captain, Lieutenant and a Community Police Team Sergeant.

Please join us at 5:45 PM on Monday April 8th in the upstairs meeting room in the Capitol Hill library, and share your observations and concerns with the Police Department.

Andrew Taylor
Chair, East District Council

Earlier this year, CHS on troubling crime trends around Capitol Hill:

Based on 11 months of data from SPD and a projection for December’s totals, crime on the streets around Capitol Hill’s dense core above and below Broadway appears to have leapt significantly in the past year fueled by a rise in assaults and a remarkable leap in reported burglaries.

Meanwhile, recent incidents also have raised concerns including this brutal March beating that nearly cost a man his eye or the murky details around this February assault reportedly involving a man seriously injured in a fight with panhandlers. Nearby, violence in the Central District turned deadly last week as a 19-year-old man was gunned down in what is believed to be a gang-related attack.

Capt. Wilson began his command of the East Precinct last summer as five crime “hot spots” were identified for increased patrols and presence by police. This year, his East Precinct is part of SPD’s new trial of predictive policing software that will eventually be deployed across Seattle to pinpoint area’s for patrol increases. Already a common dispatch heard on SPD radio chatter in the precinct is an officer returning to “predictive patrol.”

In addition to the challenges on the statistical front, Wilson also must manage changes from the Department of Justice-mandated “20/20″ program to curb excessive use of force by Seattle Police. The precinct is also preparing for a possible return of protesters on May Day 2013 and dealing with charges from the City Attorney’s office against the cop involved in this East Precinct melee last year.

If you can’t make Monday’s meeting, you can provide feedback for the East Precinct or ask questions of community liaison Fran Tello at francisco.tello@seattle.gov.

State jobless rate drops to 8.2 percent

The state unemployment rate fell in October, but largely because more people dropped out of the labor force, even as the economy added 6,700 jobs.

October’s state employment numbers offered a mixed picture Thursday of the direction of the labor market just before the holiday shopping season.

While the survey of businesses indicated steady job growth, the survey of households that’s used to measure unemployment indicated the rate fell largely because more job-seekers dropped out of the labor force rather than getting hired.

FULL STORY