Garfield High School students are back in classrooms Monday with increase Seattle Police presence in the area after a one-day shift to virtual instruction due to concerns about ongoing gun violence around the 23rd Ave school.
Friday, Garfield held classes via online systems, a shift back to the virtual learning of the pandemic, after a threat at Garfield and a shooting a mile and a half away from the school prompted officials to close the campus and send students home early on Thursday.
The school’s PTSA has called for a meeting on campus safety that will take place Monday night.
Friday afternoon, SPD announced it would increase officer presence in the area of Garfield with “a patrol emphasis in the area.”
The Seattle Police Department has been diligent in working closely with the Seattle School District to identify and address the ongoing disputes resulting in violence around Garfield High School. The department will be starting a patrol emphasis in the area to provide police presence to assist in protecting public safety in the community, deter possible criminal activity, prevent violence, and address suspicious behavior seen and or reported.
In addition to the Garfield area emphasis, SPD says it will increase its patrol presence in the 9400 block of Rainier Avenue S near the neighborhood’s McDonald’s where gun violence concerns have also spiked.
Thursday’s reported threat to the campus was investigated but determined to be without substance and there were no arrests. The shooting that ultimately began a series of school lockdowns in the area took place far from campus on First Hill. But officials remain on edge after a string of shootings much closer to Garfield.
The issues around the high school come as Seattle Public Schools says it has moved to address many safety concerns raised by recent gun violence at and around its schools. Earlier this year, district Superintendent Dr. Brent Jones formed a new “community action team” consisting of safety, civic leaders, and community action groups to evaluate data and assess the experiences at schools and surrounding communities. The team comprises SPS school leaders, Seattle Police Department, City of Seattle, and community groups and partners that provide enrichment opportunities before and after school.
The district said it was also conducting a safety review of every campus including the school building management and capital improvement teams.
There are also efforts to improve the area around Garfield High and the Garfield Community Center with the $8.4 million Garfield Super Block project that officials and community leaders hope will transform the area’s public spaces.
The area around Garfield isn’t the only area of concern for gun violence in the East Precinct. Public officials and community representatives are also looking at changes around Nagle Place next to Cal Anderson Park where two brothers were shot to death in May.
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