King County Council Helps Residents “Take Back Their Neighborhoods” from Street Crime

Establishes Drug and Prostitution Emphasis Areas inside White Center and Boulevard Park In response to communities concerned about the increase in drug sales and prostitution near homes and businesses, the Metropolitan King County Council unanimously approved two ordinances establishing drug and prostitution “Emphasis Areas” within the unincorporated King County communities of White Center and Boulevard Park. “People have a right to feel safe, to know that their loved ones will not be in danger simply walking down to the corner store,” said Councilmember Dow Constantine, whose district includes White Center and Boulevard Park. “They have the right to know they won’t stumble across a prostitution or drug deal, fall victim to the violence that often accompanies street crime, or have their children exposed to people whose sole reason for being in their neighborhood is illegal activity.” State law allows for establishment of geographically identified “areas of prostitution” and areas identified as “protected against drug trafficking” and permits the establishment of a new crime when a convicted offender violates a court-ordered condition by entering these designated areas. As a condition of sentencing, the court may order offenders – drug sellers and buyers, or prostitutes and people soliciting prostitutes – to stay out of neighborhoods that have SOAP (Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution) or SODA (Stay Out of Drug Area) designations. Both measures will sunset on December 31, 2006 but could be renewed if needed. King County Sheriff’s officers and citizen groups have identified these areas as continued locations of illegal drug activity and prostitution and have identified convicted offenders who regularly return to these areas after their arrests and sentencing. Twenty-two people testified on the proposals during the Council’s October 25 meeting. The ordinances approved today by the Council identify geographic areas within White Center and Boulevard Park that have been historic areas of illegal activity and make it a crime for those ordered out of these areas to re-enter. The new SOAP and SODA areas are contiguous to similar zones established by the two incorporated cities, Seattle and SeaTac, that border White Center and Boulevard Park. “These ordinances result from residents standing up and refusing to let illegal activity take over their neighborhoods,” said Constantine. “Our goal is to protect those men, women and children who call these diverse communities home, and deter those who would treat these neighborhoods as convenient marketplaces for illegal trade.”