Neighbors Assist In Closing Drug Houses

The annual Night Out Against Crime (Tuesday August 5) proved to be more than a party night for residents of one Tukwila neighborhood. An impromptu Block Watch meeting sprung up that night in the living room of the hosts. A drug investigation resulted from that meeting, and on August 29, two search warrants were served at nearby houses.

Neighbors suspected drug dealing because of the number of short visits by people in cars to those houses. They noticed that the traffic lasted all night long. The conditions outside and around the homes deteriorated as shown by several Tukwila City code violations. The neighbors complained that traffic blocked their driveways and mailboxes.

The search warrants were served by Tukwila Police Department and support was received by the Fire Department, Code Enforcement, the Valley Special Response Team, Animal Control, as well as the gas, electric and telephone companies. Five different types of drugs were confiscated from inside the house. Firearms and money were also seized. Three people arrested that morning were charged with felony drug violations.

That particular neighborhood's Block Watch group succeeded in cleaning up their portion of Tukwila. They were determined not to let the drug dealers ruin their neighborhood or make it an undesirable place to live.

Block Watch groups can make a difference!! Neighbors care about one another and work to keep their area of Tukwila a safe and fun place to live. Block Watches can help control what kind of neighborhood you live in. Call the Neighborhood Resource Center at 206-243-6506 or the Community Resource Center at 206-242-8084 for more information about forming a Block Watch in your neighborhood!

To the neighbors in that particular Block Watch, THANK YOU for caring enough to make a positive change in Tukwila. You know who you are!