By Lilly Fowler, July 26, 2019, Crosscut
In a sign of what may be coming to other King County cities, the Seattle suburb is introducing programs that take a different approach to difficult problems.
At a time when angst about homelessness, drugs and other causes of arrests seems to have reached a breaking point in the region, King County officials are expanding a number of key programs meant to tackle some of society’s stickiest problems. Instead of delving further into the urban core, though, these new programs are being launched in the suburbs.
Burien, about 10 miles south of Seattle with an estimated population of approximately 50,000, is a kind of pilot community in this effort. The suburb appears to be a good candidate. In addition to rapid growth, it has been rocked by racial tensions, as well as gang and youth violence. Last year, two teens were killed at a Burien apartment complex in a shooting believed to be gang related.
In the past six months, a number of programs and services have been introduced in Burien to address the challenges of a changing community while incorporating innovative approaches to criminal justice and human services. In some instances, Burien is leading a transformation of the way Seattle suburbs approach some of the issues that have accompanied the region’s growth.
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