Ballard Issues... Enforcement

This was submitted today from a frustrated Ballardite. Very well said. Although we've seen things improving over the past couple of months, we still have a long way to go and can't forget to be ever watchful and attentive to our neighborhood.

Ballard Neighborhood Safety Issues
Does it all boil down to one word?
"Enforcement!"

We read the post about all being calm and things being better, but as parents of a small child we would have to disagree.  We've been taking mental notes and realize the list is growing.  

Shopping carts, full of trash, are still being parked outside of the library, big groups of street people taking over the water park, all day, they are loud, use terrible language and act inappropriate.  

The empty lot on the corner of NW Market and 15th Ave NW, where the Denny's was located, has a regular, daily, large group of transients, littering, drinking and who knows what else.  The same issues for the empty lot next to the Ballard, Central Market.  

Then there is the ever growing case of the illegally parked, public health & safety issues created by the junker vehicle campers.  They have set up shop next to Fred Meyer, in addition to next to the lot by the Ballard Central Market. This is just a couple of locations completely out in the open. 

The campers are full of trash and scary people who seem to do nothing more than drink and again, who knows what else.  These are all issues of public health and safety.  It is beyond us why this is allowed to continue.  

The solution is simple, enforcement of laws, rules, regulations and ordinances already in place.

As for the case of campers, everyone needs to go online and report the vehicles as abandoned vehicles, parked more than 72 hours.  

Buildings and lots that are empty, full of trash and graffiti can be reported on the online DPD form as a complaint.  We have done this and it works.  A good place to start reporting would be the giant eye sore lot across from Ballard Blocks.

If you see a group of drunks and transients littering, loitering and drinking CALL the non-emergency #.  

Follow up on reports!  Keep calling!
If not Ballard will be a ghetto.  
The problems in Ballard are not indicative of the residents of Ballard.  Keeping Ballard friendly starts with us!

Active Ballard Family & Residents