Oct. 4, 2022
Last weekend’s violence in the University District has raised important and urgent questions from students, their parents, faculty and staff about safety in the neighborhood.
As Vice President for Campus Community Safety I want to be clear: This is our community. It’s the place so many of our students, staff and faculty call home. While we have been focused on providing support to the students who were directly involved in last weekend’s incidents, we have also been in frequent communication with City Hall, Seattle police and the U District Partnership to ensure safety in the neighborhood now and continue our long-term work to prevent violence. Though the urgency has increased in the past few days, we have long worked productively with these partners.
We all take the issue of safety in the U District very seriously. Seattle police will be assigning emphasis patrols in the area starting this week. Seattle police investigations into both of the weekend’s incidents are ongoing. The UW is also supporting an urgent convening through the U District Partnership of bar owners in the area to address safety concerns and how they can help. This is in the first 48 hours and more actions are to come.
The school year is under way, we continue to support the impacted students and our community, though shaken, moves forward. We continue to urge students to make use of UW safety resources that are available to them, including our Husky NightWalk and NightRide safety escort services that are available from 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day.
As UW President Ana Mari Cauce said in her statement Sunday, no one should have to fear for their safety as they go about their daily lives and we know that people need to feel safe in order to thrive. The UW is committed to doing what it takes with our neighborhood and citywide partners to prevent violence and maintain a secure environment for our community.
Sally Clark
Vice President for Campus Community Safety